Effect of Selected Drying Methods and Emerging Drying Intensification Technologies on the Quality of Dried Fruit: A Review

Drying is one of the oldest methods for food preservation that removes the water from fruit and makes it available for consumption throughout the year. Dried fruits can be produced by small- and large-scale processors, which makes them a very popular food among consumers and food manufacturers. The most frequent uses of drying technology include osmotic dehydration, vacuum drying, freeze-drying and different combinations of other drying technologies. However, drying may provoke undesirable changes with respect to physiochemical, sensory, nutritional and microbiological quality. Drying process energy efficiency and the quality of dried fruits are crucial factors in fruit drying. Recently, innovative technologies such as ultrasound, pulsed electric field and high pressure may be used as a pretreatment or in combination with traditional drying technologies for process intensification. This could result in quality improvements of dried fruits and enhanced efficiency and capacity of the production process, with a positive impact on environmental and economic benefits.