ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on drying of foods utilizing mechanical dehydrators, grain, which is dried largely by non-mechanical means, has been omitted from consideration. Artificial dehydration of foods, however, dates back only about two centuries. In artificial dehydration, an artificial source of heat is provided to take the place of direct exposure of the food to the sun in the field. With the world reserve capacity of food at a dangerously low level, food preservation by means of dehydration provides the only meaningful way to meet temporary food shortages. The ability to preserve food by dehydration is based on bacterial action and the growth of fungi and molds are largely eliminated if the moisture content of food is reduced to about 15 percent on a dry weight basis. The future economic viability of solar food dehydration systems is strongly linked to government policy and the implementation of solar incentives.
