ABSTRACT
Nomenclature ....................................................................................................... 31 Variables ................................................................................................... 31 Greek Letters ............................................................................................ 32
References ............................................................................................................ 32
Dehydration is probably the oldest and most frequently used method of food preservation. It is currently a versatile and widespread technique in the food industry as well as a subject of continuous interest in food research. The term dehydration refers to the removal of moisture from a material with the primary objective of reducing microbial activity and product deterioration (Ratti, 2001). In addition to preservation, the reduced weight and bulk of dehydrated products decreases packaging, handling, and transportation costs. Furthermore, most food products are dried for improved milling or mixing characteristics in further processing. In contrast, with literally hundreds of variants actually used in drying of particulates, solids, pastes, slurries, or solutions, it provides the most diversity among food engineering unit operations (Ratti and Mujumdar, 1995). At present, instant beverage powders, dry soup mixes, spices, coffee, and ingredients used in food transformation are the major food products that are dehydrated.
