How does baking soda works as an desiccant?
Frankly speaking, dehydration occurs because of osmosis. In fact, cellophane is used for "peel-before eating" hot dogs and also for osmosis experiments. Natural sausage casing (from intestinal submucosa) are also semipermeable membranes.
You might try an experiment demonstrating dialysis using sausage casing: in a cellophane tube, put plain tap (or distilled) water and tie the ends of the tubing. Weigh the watery "weiner". Immerse the tube in a concentrated solution of baking soda for a day or so, then weigh the sausage again -- some of the water should have leaked out into the outer solution, faster than larger sodium and carbonate ions can infiltrate, so the sausage should shrink.