Moisture desorption isotherms and drying kinetics of pasta enriched with pecan nut flour
Gabriela Silvina Muchiutti1, Nancy Genoveva Cámera1, Virginia Judit Larrosa1,2*
1University National of Entre Ríos, Faculty of Bromatology, President Perón 1154 St. Educational Pole, Gualeguaychú, 2820, Entre Ríos, Argentina
2Institute of Food Science and Technology of Entre Ríos (ICTAER), President Perón 1154 St., Gualeguaychú, 2820, Entre Rios, Argentina
| ARTICLE INFO | ABSTRACT |
| TYPE: Original scientific paper https://doi.org/10.17508/CJFST.2026.18.1.10 |
The growing interest in nutritionally enhanced pasta products has driven the search for functional ingredients capable of improving their lipid, protein, and fibre profiles. Pecan nut flour, a by-product of the oil extraction industry, represents a promising alternative; however, its incorporation into pasta formulations modifies dough physicochemical properties and requires optimisation of the drying process to ensure product stability. This study characterised moisture desorption isotherms and drying kinetics of noodles formulated with a 1:1 wheat flour–pecan nut flour ratio. Isotherms were determined at 25 °C and 40 °C (aw: 0.20–0.92) and fitted to GAB and Oswin models. Drying was performed at 30 °C and 50 °C with 40% relative humidity. The GAB model showed the best fit (R² = 0.99; E% < 5%) with monolayer moisture contents of 0.188 and 0.0996 g water/g dry matter at 25 °C and 40 °C, respectively. Drying kinetics were dominated by the falling rate period, described by Fick’s second law, yielding diffusion coefficients of 6.62 × 10⁻¹² m²/s (30 °C) and 1.80 × 10⁻¹¹ m²/s (50 °C). Both conditions produced final moisture contents and water activity values complying with Argentine Food Code limits and microbiological stability thresholds, confirming the technological feasibility of pecan nut flour as a functional ingredient in dry pasta production. |
| *CORRESPONDENCE Virginia Judit Larrosa virginia.larrosa@uner.edu.ar |
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| ARTICLE HISTORY Received: April 1, 2026 Accepted: June 24, 2026 |
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| CITATION Muchiutti GS, Genoveva Cámera N, Larrosa VJ. Moisture desorption isotherms and drying kinetics of pasta enriched with pecan nut flour. Croatian Journal of Food Science and Technology (2026) 18 (1) 134―146 |
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 COPYRIGHT: © 2026 by the author(s). This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs (CC BY-NC-ND). |
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| KEYWORDS
pecan nut flour; sorption isotherms; drying kinetics; effective diffusivity |
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| KEY CONTRIBUTION
First characterisation of moisture desorption isotherms of noodles with 50% pecan nut flour. Validation of the GAB model as the best fit for predicting sorption behaviour. Determination of drying kinetics and effective moisture diffusivity at different temperatures. Demonstration of safe moisture content and water activity levels under optimised drying conditions. Contribution to the valorisation of pecan nut flour as a functional ingredient in pasta production. |