FACULTY OF APPLIED SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

COURSE CODE : BWD 21402 POSTHARVEST TECHNOLOGY

SECTION : 1

LABORATORY REPORT :DRYING OF CORN KERNEL

GROUP : 2

GROUP MEMBERS :
1. NUR NAUFAL BINTI AZNAN (CW200017)
2. NURUL LIYANA BINTI MD RAFFEE (CW200016)
3. TAY HE YUAN (CW200031)
4. NUR AFIQAH BINTI SHARIMAN (CW200003)
5. NORASYIKIN BINTI JUMAATUN (DW200021)

DATE OF EXPERIMENT : 18 APRIL 2022

LECTURER NAME : DR. MUNIRA BINTI ZAINAL ABIDIN

 DRYING OF CORN KERNEL
Faculty of Applied Sciences and Technology, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, KMI Jalan
Panchor, 86400 Pagoh, Muar Johor, Malaysia

Nur Naufal, Norasyikin, Tay He Yuan, Nur Afiqah, Nurul Liyana

18 April 2022

ABSTRACT

Drying is a process which reduces or removes the moisture content of food to a low level by the
application of heat. The moisture or any other solvent would evaporate from the solid, semi-solid
or liquid until it becomes a dried product. Drying could be carried out by using a drying oven,
freeze dryer, spray dryer, dehydrator and any other instruments that could effectively reduce the
moisture content. In this experiment, the drying oven and dehydrator were the instruments that
were used to carry out the drying process. Corn kernel was used as the food sample for this
experiment. The moisture content of food could be determined by either using an instrument or
by calculation method. For this experiment, the moisture content of food before drying was
determined using a moisture analyser while the moisture content after drying was calculated
using the formula moisture content wet basis. The corn kernel was first drying separately in the
drying oven and dehydrator for 1h and after that drying process would continue in the drying
oven for 24h. This process was purposely for obtaining the weight before and after to calculate
the moisture content by using formula.

INTRODUCTION

Drying is a method of preserving fruits and vegetables by reducing the crop's moisture content
and water activity in order to reduce chemical, biochemical, and microbiological deterioration. It
is also known as dehydration and is one of the oldest preservation methods which works by
removing enough moisture from food to prevent bacteria, fungi and other detrimental organisms
from growing on the food and spoiling it. Drying process is important in postharvest because it
can minimize the postharvest losses and damage as the vegetables and fruits are perishable and
easily susceptible to pathogens. It also helps in extending the produce shelf-life by removing
moisture to a safe level. Thus, enable to lessen moisture-mediated deteriorative biochemical
reactions, prevent the proliferation of microbial growth and reproduction that are detrimental to
the produce and reduce wastage from damaging product during packaging, processing,
transporting and storing while indirectly lowering the cost of the whole process.

This experiment is carried out in order to determine the moisture content of the produce
to decrease to a certain level so that it is suitable for long-term storage. In this experiment, the
sample used for corn kernel was dried in the oven and dehydrated at 65°C for 60 minutes. The
initial and final moisture content and weight of the sample was observed and recorded. Besides,
different instruments, time and grain type used in drying methods affect the quality of the dried
product as during the drying process, the internal structure of the produce is altered and causes
an internal stress that leads to shrinkage. This is because, as the water is removed from the
produce, a gradient of moisture builds up and generates the shrinkage tension which is resulted
from the breaking, cracking and discontinuity in its structure. The air velocity and the initial and
final moisture contents also affects the end product quality and shelf-life. Moreover, the higher
the temperature used during the drying process, the breakage and fracture of the produce
structure also increases. It also reduces the starch, protein and colour quality of the end product.

MATERIAL AND METHODOLOGY

Corn kernels are separated from the cob. The initial weight and initial moisture content of the
corn kernel was recorded. The sample was placed in a food dehydrator at 65oC for 60 minutes.
After drying, the final weight and final moisture content of the dried corn kernel was recorded.
The percentage of weight loss of the sample was calculated.
RESULT
Table 1: Moisture content

FRESH CORN

Initial weight Final weight

Reading 1 1.02g 0.23g

Reading 2 1.103g 0.287g

Average 1.062g 0.259g

Moisture =
𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 −𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡
× 100
𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡
content (%)
1.062 − 0.259
= 1.062
× 100

= 75.61%

CORN KERNEL AFTER DRYING

OVEN DEHYDRATOR

Initial weight : 43.15g Initial weight: 41.73g

Final weight : 30.45g Final weight : 32.81g
Weight loss : 12.7g Weight loss : 8.92g
Percentage of weight loss : 29% Percentage of weight loss : 21%

Percentage of weight loss (%)

After 1 hour

𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 −𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟 1 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟

= 𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡
× 100
 43.15 −30.45 41.73 − 32.81
= 43.15
×100 = 41.73
× 100

= 29% = 21%

Moisture content (%)

After 24 hours (wet basis)

𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟 1 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑑𝑟𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔 −𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟 24 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠
= 𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟 1 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑑𝑟𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔
×100

1.00 −0.25 1.00 − 0.30

= 1.00
×100 = 1.00
×100

= 75% = 70%

DISCUSSION

Corn was first cultivated in the Americas. It is the most widely farmed crop in the planet. It's
known as maize in various regions of the world (Diana Wells). Three most popular type of corn
are sweet corn which are typically found at the grocery store. Next field corn or dent corn which
used to feed cattle and other livestock. It is also used in some industrial items. Lastly, Indian corn
that comes with many colors and is popular as a decoration that is often seen around
thanksgiving. Corn is one of the most significant cereal grains, producing almost 85 percent of
the world's carbohydrates and 42 106 tonnes (around 15 percent) of proteins per year (Malumba,
2009). Corn produced for grain is often stored for several months, if not more than a year, before
being sold or fed to their dairy cattle. It must be dried in order for it to be stored for such lengthy
periods of time without rotting. Indeed, it is important for a corn kernel to be in a dried formed
without rotting to extend the shelf life and prevent from spoilage.
Drying is one of the method to preserve fruits and vegetables that reduces the moisture
content and water activity of the product to reduce chemical, biochemical, and microbiological
deterioration. The main purpose of drying is to reduce the moisture content of agricultural goods
to a level that allows them to be stored for a long time. Drying is a term that refers to a variety of
heat and mass transfer procedures in which the moisture content of a material is reduced by using
thermal energy. The structure, composition of biopolymers are altered by hot air drying. Interior
tensions are accompanied by some shrinkage as the material's internal structure changes during
drying.
Based on the result obtained from table 1, there are two different methods to determine
the moisture content of the corn kernel after drying. The percentage of weight loss after one hour
by using oven drying method shows 29% while the percentage of weight loss by using
dehydrator is less than the oven drying which is 21%. A moisture gradient forms as a result of
water loss, causing shrinkage strains. On the other hand, the percentage of moisture content was
observed by using two different drying methods. The percentage of the sample for the oven
drying method resulted in 75% which is more than using the dehydration method. Hence, the
composition of the corn kernel causing cell damage during drying process. Furthemore, As a
result of moisture removal, the rheological properties of materials change (Lewicki, 1998) Last
but not least, it was proven that using the oven to observe the percentage of moisture content is
higher than using the dehydrator for extending the shelf life of the corn kernel.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the experimenters concluded that the objective of this experiment was achieved.
From the experiment, both instruments were able to reduce the moisture content of the corn
kernel. The corn kernel which dried by using a drying oven had a weight loss more than the corn
kernel that dried using a dehydrator yet the corn kernel that dried by using a drying oven had a
moisture content higher than the dehydrator method. Therefore, the drying process which is
carried out by a dehydrator would be more effective compared to using a drying oven in an hour.

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