Abstract
Dielectric properties of sardine-starch paste with moisture content of 4 to $13\%$ were investigated as functions of moisture and frequency. And the effects of the levels of fat and starch of the mixtures upon dielectric permittivity, critical moisture, were also mentioned. In addition, a theoretical prediction of frequency dependence of dielectric constant which was computed by the lumped circuit of two layer condenser model was evaluated. For the preparation of sardine-starch paste, comminuted sardine meat was washed thoroughly several times in chilled water by soaking and decanting, and finally centrifuged. This procedure was extended longer to provide a low fat sample. The centrifuged meat was mixed with adequate amounts of starch and salt, and ground for 25 minutes in a stone mortar, moulded in the form of disk with 7cm diameter and 1.2cm thickness and then freeze dried. Dried meat disks were cut off for the size of 5.5cm diameter and 1.0cm thickness and their moisture contents were controlled in humidified desiccators with saturated solutions. Dielectric constants of sardine-starch paste tended to decrease frequency was increased showing a critical charge at the moisture called critical moisture content. In case of the sample with $20\%$ starch and $2\%$ salt an average complex permittivity($\epsilon^{\ast}$) at 7 to $8\%$ morsture as the critical moisture content was presented; $\epsilon^{\ast}$=3.37+j 0.39 at 0.1 MHz, $\epsilon^{\ast}$=2.54+j 0.19 at 15 MHz, and $\epsilon^{\ast}$=2.15+j 0.08 at 1.8 GHz, respectively. The theoretically obtained complex permittivity values from the two layer condoner model were in close agreement with these actual measurements under the same conditions, that appeared as $\epsilon^{\ast}$=2.53+i 0.09 at 0.1 MHz and $\epsilon^{\ast}$=2.28+j 0.06 at 15 MHz, respectively. The fast level of the mixture also revealed an influence on dielectric property that defatted neat with $1.0\%$ fat showed a higher hc and $\epsilon^{\ast}$ value than the meat with $4.8\%$ fat. Complex permittivity being related to the moisture level remained nearly unchanged or slightly changed at the moisture range of 4 to $8\%$ but was dispersed widely at higher moisture contents.