ABSTRACT
Several factors may affect the popcorn quality, physical properties such as grain size, porosity and density being the most important. The objective of this research was to evaluate effects of the drying process on these physical properties for two popcorn varieties as a function of the moisture content. The popcorn grains from Zélia and CMS 43 varieties were utilized in this study and subjected to the drying process at 40°C. Simultaneously, the bulk and unit density for both varieties at several moisture contents were determined. The range of moisture content utilized was 10.2 - 17.2% w.b. and 10,4 - 19,4% w.b. for the varieties Zélia and CMS 43, respectively. The meam values obtained for bulk density were: 768 and 767 kg m-3; for unity density 1,242 and 1,332 kg m-3, and for porosity, 38 and 42% for the Zélia and CMS 43 varieties, respectively. The behavior of the physical properties, in relation to the influence of the drying process, was similar to other varieties of corn.
Key words:
popcorn; drying; physical properties; moisture content