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One of the oldest methods of preserving food, it removes moisture and stops

the growth of bacteria, yeasts & molds that normally spoil food. It also slows down
but doesnt completely inactivate enzymes.

The technique of drying is probably the oldest method of food preservation


practiced by mankind. Drying of foods is mainly aimed at reducing the moisture to
extend the shelf life. The major challenge during dehydration of food is to reduce
the energy consumption and the water content of the material to the desired level
without substantial loss of color, appearance, flavor, taste and chemical
components.

The technique of drying is probably one of the ancient methods and


important unit operations for preserving food. Drying essentially is a simultaneous
heat and mass transfer process, wherein heating medium or internal heat
generation helps in evaporation of free water molecules from the product. Mass
transfer rate, during the drying/dehydration process, can be enhanced by different
pretreatments, apart from using enhanced temperature, optimum air flow rate in
case of convective drying or using high intensity electric field as in case of dielectric
and other electromagnetic drying systems however, opting for extreme conditions,
product quality may be compromised.

Hot air drying is the most commonly employed commercial technique for
drying vegetables and fruits, in which heat is transferred from the hot air to the
product by convection, and evaporated water is transported to the air also by
convection. However, the major disadvantage associated with hot air dehydrating is
the long drying time even at temperatures near 60C, resulting in the degradation
of material quality.

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