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Innovations and Advances in Drying Processes and Technologies in Food Processing: Principles, Methods, and Applications

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A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Applied Biosciences and Bioengineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 June 2026 | Viewed by 6774

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Iman Golpour

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Guest Editor

Department of Energy Engineering, National University of Distance Education (UNED), 28040 Madrid, Spain
Interests: energy sustainability; renewable energy; solar power systems; hybrid drying processes; food processing technologies; innovative artificial intelligence

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Drying is an essential component in food processing that directly impacts product quality, safety, and shelf life. Recent developments in drying processes and technologies have led to significant improvements in energy efficiency, environmental sustainability, and product integrity. This Special Issue focuses on cutting-edge advancements in drying methods, such as novel hybrid technologies, energy-efficient systems, and the optimization of drying parameters for different food materials.

The Special Issue will feature contributions that explore drying kinetics, the influence of drying on food nutritional and sensory attributes, industrial-scale applications, and the integration of drying with other food processing operations. The goal is to promote knowledge exchange and provide comprehensive insights into future directions of drying technologies in the food industry.

The aim of this Special Issue is to showcase the latest innovations and advancements in drying processes and technologies that play a pivotal role in modern food processing. Drying is a key unit operation in preserving food products, enhancing shelf life, and maintaining nutritional and sensory qualities. This Special Issue invites original research, reviews, and case studies focused on novel methods, optimization techniques, and energy-efficient approaches to drying technologies in food processing.

The scope covers a wide range of topics, including, but not limited to, the following:

Drying kinetics and modelling in various food materials;
Novel and hybrid drying technologies (e.g., freeze-drying, microwave drying, vacuum drying, infrared drying);
Energy-efficient and eco-friendly drying systems;
Exergy, Exergo-economic, and life-cycle assessment of drying systems and the food processing in industry;
Impact of drying processes on food quality, nutritional value, and sensory properties;
Advances in drying process control, automation, and real-time monitoring;
Industrial-scale applications of drying processes in food manufacturing;
Process optimization and integration of drying with other food processing technologies;
Post-drying packaging, handling, and storage strategies to maintain product stability;
Advances in sensors and smart technologies for improving drying efficiency and accuracy;
Case studies on sustainable and low-energy drying solutions.

This Special Issue aims to provide a platform for researchers, practitioners, and industry experts to share innovations and insights that address both practical and theoretical challenges in food drying technologies.

Dr. Iman Golpour
Guest Editor

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Keywords

drying processes
food processing technologies
drying kinetics
novel drying methods
energy-efficient drying systems
freeze-drying
microwave drying
infrared drying
vacuum drying
solar dryer
solar-assisted heat pump system
hybrid drying technologies
heat and mass transfer in drying
food quality in drying
nutritional retention during drying
shelf-life extension
sustainable food drying
drying process optimization
industrial food drying applications
drying automation and control
post-drying packaging and storage
smart drying technologies
exergy and advanced exergy analysis
exergo-economic and environmental assessment

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 2175 KB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainable Assessment of Exergetic, Energetic, Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Quality Performance During Ultrasound–Assisted Microwave–Convective Drying of Dill Leaves

by Kazem Sasani, Yousef Abbaspour-Gilandeh, Mohammad Kaveh, Iman Golpour and José Daniel Marcos

Appl. Sci. 2026, 16(4), 2108; https://doi.org/10.3390/app16042108 - 21 Feb 2026

Viewed by 332

Abstract

Dill is a valuable herb recognized for its rich nutritional composition and bioactive properties. Drying is an efficient preservation technique for maintaining its quality characteristics and ensuring longer storage stability. Incorporating ultrasonic pretreatment before the drying process can significantly reduce energy consumption (SEC) and greenhouse gas emissions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to comprehensively evaluate ultrasound-assisted hybrid microwave–convective drying of dill (Anethum graveolens L.) leaves, focusing on the combined effects on drying kinetics, energetic and exergetic performance, providing an indirect emission estimate and multiple quality attributes. This study aimed to evaluate the drying kinetics, energy and exergy performance parameters, greenhouse gas emissions, quality properties (water activity, rehydration ratio and color) and antioxidant capacity of dill leaves dried by the microwave–hot-air (MW-HA) technique combined with ultrasonic (US) pretreatment. The experiments were conducted at MW power levels of 20%, 40%, and 60% (corresponding to a total output of 900 W), air temperatures of 40 and 60 °C, and US pretreatment durations of 0, 10, and 30 min. The results illustrated that rising MW power, air temperature and US duration significantly reduced the drying time, SEC and greenhouse gas emissions. At higher process conditions, specifically, 40% MW power, 60 °C drying temperature, and 30 min US pretreatment, the maximum energy efficiency (10.17%) and exergy efficiency (11.35%) were obtained. In terms of quality attributes, the best results were achieved at 40% MW power, 60 °C air temperature, and 10 min ultrasonic pretreatment, with reduced water activity (0.258), minimal color variation (ΔE = 11.44), improved rehydration ratio (3.88), and high retention of antioxidant activity. These findings demonstrate the potential of ultrasound pretreatment to enhance drying performance by reducing energy use and emissions while improving quality and antioxidant retention in dill, offering new guidelines for sustainable processing of this herb. Future studies should optimize microwave–hot-air-drying conditions to balance energy efficiency, exergy, and product quality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations and Advances in Drying Processes and Technologies in Food Processing: Principles, Methods, and Applications)

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14 pages, 2030 KB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Passive Solar Drying on the Quality Characteristics of Apricots

by Mason Dopirak, Matus Dopirak, Aakash Gupta, Michael Navin, Michael Swedish, Anna Tchesnokova, Qingsu Cheng and Wujie Zhang

Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(23), 12750; https://doi.org/10.3390/app152312750 - 2 Dec 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 733

Abstract

Currently, there is no cost-effective drying approach for apricots that effectively preserves color and prevents browning. Using a psychrometric chamber to simulate environmental conditions in Malatya, Turkey, apricots were dried, with freeze-dried samples serving as a control. The samples were analyzed for their water and nutritional contents as well as chemical and structural evaluation. The Agricycle^® passive solar drier was tested for its ability to dry apricots while reducing browning. Freeze-dried samples appeared whiter (bleached), whereas passive solar-dried apricots retained their natural color. The results showed that passive solar drying successfully reduced the water content to below 20% (11.92%) and limited browning, based on visual inspection and colorimetry. Nutritionally, passive solar-dried apricots had comparable total phenolics to freeze-dried samples (2.72 vs. 4.06 GAE/g dry mass), but higher vitamin C (1.86 vs. 1.11 mg/g dry mass) and lower dissolved solids (45.36 vs. 73.02 °Brix). The microstructural analysis revealed notable differences between drying methods. Overall, the Agricycle^® passive solar drier offers a simple, cost-effective solution for fruit drying. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations and Advances in Drying Processes and Technologies in Food Processing: Principles, Methods, and Applications)

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19 pages, 1294 KB

Open AccessArticle

Hybrid Drying of Apples: A Comparison of Continuous and Intermittent Process Modes

by Justyna Szadzińska, Katarzyna Waszkowiak and Dominik Mierzwa

Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(22), 12031; https://doi.org/10.3390/app152212031 - 12 Nov 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 570

Abstract

In recent years, microwave and ultrasound technology has been under extensive development in drying technologies. Researchers are constantly searching for improved solutions or alternatives to hot air drying. The goal of this work was to determine the intermittent action of ultrasound and microwaves on convective drying. An examination of five specific cases of stationary and nonstationary drying processes was conducted. The evolution of moisture content and drying rate over process time was discussed, and the average drying rate and time, drying constant, effective diffusion coefficient, and specific energy consumption were also compared. To identify the differences between the dried products, the quality characteristics such as: water activity, color, shrinkage, rehydration, polyphenol content, odor, and flavor of apples were analyzed. The results indicate that intermittent drying provides a good alternative to convective drying, including when combined with microwave and ultrasound treatments. Applying microwaves or ultrasound intermittently resulted in an increase in the effective diffusion coefficient (by 68%) and drying rate (by 117%) and a reduction in drying time (by 53%), compared to convective drying. This processing method resulted in lower energy consumption by up to 13% and well-preserved quality attributes—this could be very promising for the production of healthy, ready-to-eat apple snacks. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations and Advances in Drying Processes and Technologies in Food Processing: Principles, Methods, and Applications)

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26 pages, 5712 KB

Open AccessArticle

Investigation on the Role of Drying Air Humidity and Process Parameters in Shaping the Conditions of Spray Drying Using Model Feed Materials

by Alicja Barańska-Dołomisiewicz, Aleksandra Jedlińska and Katarzyna Samborska

Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(10), 5761; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15105761 - 21 May 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2613

Abstract

A three-stage research using distilled water and maltodextrin as model feed solutions was conducted to study the influence of inlet air humidity on spray drying performance. In the first and second stage, spray drying of distilled water and 30% (solids, w/w) MD solutions were tested at variable feed rate (0.16–0.83 mL/s), inlet air humidity (0.1–0.3, 1.1–1.3, 9–10 g/m³) and inlet air temperature (80–120 °C). In the third stage, the optimization of MD solutions spray drying process variables (80–120 °C inlet air temperature, 0.1–0.3, 1.1–1.3, 9–10 g/m³ inlet air humidity, 10–30% feed solution concentration) were verified for maximum powder recovery and powders of low moisture content and activity. It was noted that inlet air humidity influenced the spray drying performance. Reduced humidity improved the process conditions, but the most satisfying powder properties were noted at 120 °C, thus decreasing inlet air temperature was not necessary to ameliorate the process performance. Optimization in the third stage of the study enabled us to estimate the most satisfying properties of maltodextrin powders. The highest powder recovery and the lowest moisture content and water activity were optimal for spray drying at inlet air temperature of 120 °C, inlet air humidity of 0.1 g/m³, and feed solution concentration of 29.571%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations and Advances in Drying Processes and Technologies in Food Processing: Principles, Methods, and Applications)

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15 pages, 3890 KB

Open AccessArticle

A Novel Method for Analyzing the Kinetics of Convective/IR Bread Drying (CIRD) with Sensor Technology

by Marko Petković, Alexander Lukyanov, Igor Đurović and Nemanja Miletić

Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(9), 4964; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15094964 - 30 Apr 2025

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1604

Abstract

This study explores the combined use of convective and infrared drying (CIRD) for bread slices, utilizing advanced MEMS sensors to monitor temperature, moisture, and drying rates in real time, optimizing efficiency, and energy use. The dehydration kinetics of 1 cm thick bread slices under a controlled CIRD method was used. This analyzes drying rate (water loss speed, WLS) and energy efficiency (EE) using sensor technology. IR drying used 150 W lamps at 7 cm and 15 cm, while convective drying involved 60 °C hot air at 3 m/s. Sensor data aligned with gravimetric measurements. The most energy-efficient model used a 150 W IR lamp at 7 cm (0.645 kWh, 21.572 kWh/kg water removed) but had the longest drying time (220 min at 15 cm). The least efficient model used a 250 W IR lamp at 15 cm (EE = 32.734 kWh/kg). These results of CIRD in bread drying are statistically significant and can be applied to industrial bakery drying processes, helping manufacturers to reduce energy costs, and adopt sensor-driven process control for enhanced sustainability. The CIRD model, which uses a 150 W IR lamp placed 15 cm above the bread slices being dried, represents the most effective optimization strategy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations and Advances in Drying Processes and Technologies in Food Processing: Principles, Methods, and Applications)

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