ABSTRACT
Mass transfer plays a very important role in basic unit operations of food processing, such as drying, extraction, distillation, and absorption. In these physical operations, the resistance to mass transfer is usually the rate-limiting factor, although heat transfer and uid ow may also be involved. Evaporation of water in concentration processes of liquid foods is normally controlled by heat transfer and it is not classied as a mass transfer operation. However, the stripping of volatile components from liquid foods may depend mainly on mass transfer within the liquid phase or at the liquid/vapor interphase.
