Drying processes are widely used for food production, but a real scientific approach is not yet applied, so rather empiric rules are used to set up industrial production. This paper concerns the results of the industrial validation of a physically based mathematical model developed to simulate the phenomenon of pasta drying. The model is summarised and its main features are briefly discussed. The numerical solution is based on finite difference method (FDM). Following the model set up in a pilot plant, the industrial validation has been done. The model has been set up in order to fit the industrial plant operational geometry and good agreement was found with the average pasta water content. In addition a modelling of some of the most common quality pasta indices are reported. The parameters (furosine content and colorimetric indices) have been related to water content and temperature of pasta and the results was correctly predicted as order of magnitude. Finally, in order to show the model application to high quality pasta production, a set of simulations, different each to the other for the displacement of the drying acceleration zone, is discussed in terms of impact on the product quality. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.