The objective of this work was to combine response surface methodology (RSM) with super-modified simplex optimisation for treatment of cases that are interesting for food science and technology through the application of the function of Derringer & Suich for combined responses. A microcomputer program called MULTIPLEX was developed and tested in the multiresponse optimisation of three food systems selected in specialised literature: 1) inactivated lipoxygenase and lipase and preserve phytase activity in barley during soaking; 2) vapor induced puffing in apple dehydration; 3) hexametaphosphate-assisted extraction of flaxseed protein. A rigorous statistics analysis was accomplished in order to test the predictive ability of the models. The super-modified simplex method with automatic initialisation was the instrument for the numerical solution of the function of Derringer & Suich for combined responses. The program that was developed has show itself to be efficient and trustworthy for the optimisation of multiresponse, and can be executed in microcomputer that has a PC 486 and MS-DOS.
optimization; super-modified simplex; food systems
