| Summary: | Dehydration of honey is an essential step during honey production in tropical countries to prevent rapid deterioration in quality because of the fermentation. In this study, honey dehydration at atmospheric pressure and temperatures of 36°C, 42°C, and 52°C in a pilot dehydration plant based on JEVA concept was carried out to reduce the moisture content of honey to below 17%. Honey dehydration at a temperature range of 36°C - 42°C achieved a high dehydration rate and low energy simultaneously due to integrating a heat pump into the processing loop. The temperature range of 36°C - 42°C was found out to be the most favourable processing temperature for honey dehydration since at these operational conditions, minimal colour degradation of honey, a low decline in diastase number and high retention of TPC and TFC (87.0% - 88.2% and 74.8% - 80.6%) were achieved. Moreover, honey samples dehydrated at 36°C and 42°C preserved antibacterial activity for strains of MRSE, Salmonella Typhimurium, Proteus Vulgaris, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa compared to raw honey. Under similar operational conditions, the proposed dehydration plant has been found to be better than that of other honey dehydrators reported in the literature in terms of dehydration rate, energy consumption, and lighter impacts on physiochemical characteristics.
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