ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITIES of SELECTED SOLID FOODS DURING OHMIC HEATING

Electrical conductivities of three vegetable and two meat samples were determined by subjecting them to a constant voltage power supply in a static ohmic heating device. Conductivities of vegetable samples were increased by soaking them in salt solutions, while soaking in water resulted in reduced conductivity due to leaching of electrolytes. Conductivities under ohmic heating conditions increased linearly with temperature. When field strengths were decreased, the conductivity-temperature curve gradually became nonlinear, and under conventional heating conditions, a sharp transition was observed.