Todarodes pacificus is an important marine resource commercialized in South Korea, Japan, and China. The objective of this work is to investigate the effectiveness of different mathematical models (diffusive model, Newton's model, Henderson-pabis's model, Page's model, and Weibull's model) in precisely explaining the moisture gain/loss and salt gain of the squid slices immersed in saline solutions. Brine concentrations of immersion used were 2.5, 5, 10, and 15% (w/w) for various durations (0-360 min). The effective diffusion coefficients of salt ranged from 0.549×10−9 to 0.841×10−9 m2/s, while the moisture values ranged from -0.077×10−9 to 0.374×10−9 m2/s. The experimental results of moisture and salt transfer fitted well into the Henderson-Pabis and Page models, respectively. The results presented in this study support the potential to predict the mass transfer of squid using mathematical modeling.

The impregnation of solid foods into the surrounding hypotonic or hypertonic solution was explored as a method to infuse NaCl in pork loin cube without altering its matrix. Mass transfer kinetics using a diffusive model as the mathematical model for moisture gain/loss and salt gain and the resulting textural properties were studied for the surrounding solutions of NaCl 2.5, 5.0, 10.0 and 15% (w/w). It was possible to access the effects of brine concentration on the direction of the resulting water flow, quantify water and salt transfer, and confirm tenderization effect by salt infusion. For brine concentrations up to 10% it was verified that meat samples gained water, while for processes with 15% concentration, pork loin cubes lost water. The effective diffusion coefficients of salt ranged from 2.43×10-9 to 3.53×10-9 m2/s, while for the values of water ranged from 1.22×10-9 to 1.88×10-9 m2/s. The diffusive model was able to represent well salt gain rates using a single parameter, i.e. an effective diffusion coefficient of salt through the meat. However, it was not possible to find a characteristic effective diffusion coefficient for water transfer. Within the range of experimental conditions studied, salt-impregnated samples by 5% (w/w) brine were shown with minimum hardness, chewiness and shear force.

This study was conducted to present a method that determine the optimum conditions for the preparation of chinese whole cabbage kimchi. After Sensory and chemical characteristics of kimchi with various salt concentration in brine, brining time and storage period at equal saltiness were measured, the optimum conditions for the preparation of chinese whole cabbage kimchi were determined with the use of the response surface methodology. The results are summarized as follows; 1. The more salt concentration in brine, the longer brining time and storage period, resulted in the lower pH and the higher titratable acidity of kimchis. As the salt concentration in brine and brining time increased, kimchi reaches at optimum titratable acidity of it within a shorter time. 2. As the salt concentration in brine and brining time increased, content of succinic acid decreased but that of lactic, acetic, and propionic acid increased. Amount of citric, malic and succinic acid decreased but that of lactic, acetic acid increased, with storage day. 3. Sensory data showed that firmness and green cabbage flavor of kimchi decreased while toughness, carbonic mouthfeel, sourness and staled flavor increased with increased salt concentration in brine, brining time and storage day. As the storage period increased, crispness of kimchi decreased. 4. The optimum conditions for the preparation of chinese whole cabbage kimchi were as follows: Optimum salt concentration in brine, brining time, and storage period were 19.5%, 3 hours and 45 minutes, and 12 hours.