Abstract: “Drying process is a method of food preservation that thrives by removing water from the food, which inhibits the growth of bacteria and has been practiced worldwide since ancient times to preserve food. In the coconut industry, drying the coconut meat reduces its moisture content that inhibits the growth of bacteria and the action of enzymes that causes spoilage. The coconut meat is named copra once drying starts. Well-dried copra contains 7% moisture and is processed into coconut oil (CNO) and copra cake after storage when the moisture content is reduced to about 4-5%, the equilibrium moisture content of copra at most existing storage conditions (Guarte et al., 1996). This study aims to determine the best mathematical model that describes the drying characteristics of thinly-sliced coconut meat. Two mathematical models were examined to describe the drying behavior of thinly sliced coconut meat at 60, 70 and 80oC using a hot-air batch dryer. The Page model gave the best fit to the expe”

Keywords: copra, coconut oil (CNO), Mathematical Model, correlation factor, time constant, total error