Authors : Gilles Bernard Nkouam, Bup Divine Nde, Danielle Barth, Michel Dirand and Cesar Kapseu
Abstract: Water content of a product depends on many parameters amongst which are temperature and relative humidity of its environment. A study was carried out on the dehydration of sheanut kernels (Vitellaria paradoxa Gaertn.) in order to compare three traditional storage methods and identify the better one for their preservation as a function of time. Sheanuts stored under different conditions (atmospheric, under ground in a polyvinyl bag and under the sand) underwent drying in a forced convection dryer. The results obtained showed that before 7 h of drying, samples stored under the sand had a better coherence while after this time better results were obtained with samples stored under the ground in a bag. These results indicate that the traditional under ground storage of sheanuts by female farmers at the village level should be enhanced.
Gilles Bernard Nkouam, Bup Divine Nde, Danielle Barth, Michel Dirand and Cesar Kapseu, 2010. Comparison of Traditional Storage Methods of Sheanut Kernels (Vitellaria paradoxa Gaertn.) Using Drying Curves. Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences, 5: 134-137.