Journal of food science and technology(Iran)

Journal of food science and technology(Iran)

Development and Simulation of a Coupled Salt and Moisture Transfer Model in Cheese Considering the Effects of Temperature and Osmotic Forces

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Mohsen Dalvi-Isfahan 1
Hamid khafajeh 2
1 Associate Professor of Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Jahrom University, Jahrom, Fars, Iran, P.O. Box 74135-111
2 Biosystems Engineering Department, Jahrom University
10.48311/fsct.2026.119858.83108
Abstract
Salting is a critical step in cheese production, contributing to microbial safety, shelf life, texture, and flavor development. In this study, salt uptake during the brining process was investigated using both experimental measurements and modeling approaches. The chemical composition of cheese samples was first determined. The effective diffusion coefficient of salt at different temperatures was then calculated using Fick’s second law. To more accurately describe the brining process, an extended numerical model incorporating simultaneous salt and water transport as well as osmotic effects was developed and simulated. Results showed that salt concentration in cheese increases over time, with the highest rate of uptake occurring in the early stages due to strong concentration gradients. As brining progresses, the rate of diffusion decreases. Temperature had a significant impact: increasing the temperature from 6 to 20 °C led to higher effective diffusion coefficients and greater overall salt uptake. The temperature dependence of diffusivity followed the Arrhenius relationship, yielding an activation energy of 53.32 kJ/mol. Numerical simulations demonstrated that incorporating osmotic forces provides a more realistic prediction of moisture loss and the coupled spatial distribution of salt and water within the cheese matrix. Two dimensional concentration maps further confirmed that higher temperatures promote deeper salt penetration over a fixed brining duration.
Keywords
Brining
Cheese
Diffusivity
Temperature
Osmotic force
Numerical simulation
Subjects
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Journal of food science and technology(Iran)
Volume 23, Issue 175 - Serial Number 175
September 2026
Pages 301-313