Developments in technology and nutritive value of dehydrated fruits, vegetables, and their products

Abstract

Remarkable developments in technology of dehydrated fruits, vegetables, and their products have been made during the past several decades. Many dehydration techniques that have shown to be applicable for drying fruits and vegetables are widely adapted by the industry for commercial'scale production while constantly undergoing improvement. At the same time, various new techniques are also being developed and introduced to the public. A compilation of information along with assessing the merit on current technology of dehydration of fruits, vegetables, and their products would benefit not only those who are engaged in this rapidly growing industry but also those who are interested in developing a better way to preserve the highly nutritious fruits and vegetables. For each of the currently known dehydration techniques, a condensed description of the principle, operation, advantages, and limitations will be presented with the kind of fruits and vegetables being dehydrated. Next, the storage stability of dehydrated fruits, vegetables, and their products will be discussed with regard to factors that affect their shelf‐life, emphasizing the packaging technique and storage conditions such as availability of numerous packaging materials, use of in‐package desiccantto keep moisture content low, packing with inert gas to avoid oxidation, sulfur treatment to prevent browning, and keeping away from light in cool temperatures. Regarding the nutrition aspect of dehydrated fruits, vegetables, and their products, emphasis will be placed on their vitamin content status since the drying and dehydration process quite often causes their destruction. Therefore, fortification of these dehydrated products would be one approach to upgrade their nutritional quality as well as orgaholeptic qualities, i.e., flavor, color, and texture. Proper utilization of these products is very important in determining their fate either consumed as is or after effective rehydration. Potential usage of various new products including convenient snacks, drinks, and baby foods will be presented. Finally, the needs for future research will be suggested.