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Application of Various Drying Technologies in Food Industry
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Application of Various Drying Technologies in Food Industry

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Engineering and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 14 June 2024 | Viewed by 3654

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Patrícia Moreira Azoubel

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical Engineering, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
Interests: drying; osmotic dehydration; ultrasound; food processing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Drying is a food preservation method that has been used since antiquity. It reduces moisture content and water activity in the food matrix, creating an environment less conducive to microbial growth, delaying enzymatic and biochemical reactions, reducing deterioration and adding value to products. There is a growing interest in the food industry in drying technologies that promote a reduction in the time required for dehydration, combined with low energy consumption, low environmental impact and the maintenance of the overall quality of the product. The primary purpose of this Special Issue—entitled, “Application of Various Drying Technologies in Food Industry”—is to provide high-quality manuscripts regarding the use of drying technologies and discuss their impact on food, agricultural product quality, and other related factors.

Prof. Dr. Patrícia Moreira Azoubel
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • drying technology
  • drying of food and agricultural products
  • combined drying
  • innovative drying technology
  • thermal and non-thermal technologies
  • drying kinetics
  • hybrid drying
  • product quality

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 13206 KiB  
Article
Effects of Different Varieties on Physicochemical Properties, Browning Characteristics, and Quality Attributes of Mume fructus (Wumei)
by Lei Gao, Hui Zhang, Hui Wang, Tao Wang, Aichao Li, Hongmei Xiao, Yihao Liu and Zhian Zheng
Foods 2024, 13(9), 1377; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13091377 - 29 Apr 2024
Viewed by 484
Abstract
The dried Mume fructus (MF) is a special food and herbal medicine with a long history of processing and application. The browning index (BI) of Prunus mume (PM) is pivotal in determining the medicinal value and edible quality of MF. Exploring [...] Read more.
The dried Mume fructus (MF) is a special food and herbal medicine with a long history of processing and application. The browning index (BI) of Prunus mume (PM) is pivotal in determining the medicinal value and edible quality of MF. Exploring the BI of PM holds significant importance for both the selection of PM varieties and understanding the formation mechanism of high-quality MF. This study systematically analyzed the physicochemical properties, BI, and quality indicators of four PM varieties (Qingzhu Mei, Yesheng Mei, Nangao Mei, and Zhaoshui Mei) after processing into MF. The results showed significant differences in eight physicochemical indicators among the four PM varieties (p < 0.05). Notably, Qingzhu Mei exhibited the highest titratable acid content, Nangao Mei had the most prominent soluble solid and soluble sugar content, and Zhaoshui Mei showed outstanding performance in reducing sugar, soluble protein, and free amino acids. Regarding drying characteristics, Yesheng Mei and Nangao Mei required a shorter drying time. In terms of BI, Nangao Mei exhibited the greatest degree of browning and its color appearance was darker. When considering quality evaluation, Nangao Mei excelled in rehydration ability and extract content, while Zhaoshui Mei demonstrated outstanding levels of total phenols, total flavonoids, and total antioxidant capacity. Overall, the evaluation suggested that the Nangao Mei variety was more suitable for MF processing. These research results provide a valuable theoretical foundation for understanding the BI of PM varieties and serve as a reference for the selection of PM varieties as raw materials for processing MF. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Various Drying Technologies in Food Industry)
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17 pages, 3281 KiB  
Article
The Effect of the Periodic Drying Method on the Drying Time of Hazelnuts and Energy Utilization
by Mithat Akgün and Emrullah Kontaş
Foods 2024, 13(6), 901; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13060901 - 15 Mar 2024
Viewed by 586
Abstract
Hazelnut is a shelled fruit that is stored by drying and used as a snack or in industry. Since the hazelnut drying process is energy-intensive, there is a need for drying methods that will reduce the energy cost without lengthening the drying time. [...] Read more.
Hazelnut is a shelled fruit that is stored by drying and used as a snack or in industry. Since the hazelnut drying process is energy-intensive, there is a need for drying methods that will reduce the energy cost without lengthening the drying time. In this study, the effects of periodic drying of hazelnuts’ energy recovery, oil, and protein content, as well as mass losses, were studied. Fresh Tombul hazelnuts (Corylus avellana L.) with a diameter of Ø 15–16 mm were dried in a tunnel dryer over 16 different periods by adjusting the drying time inside and waiting time outside the oven until the moisture content reached 6%. Drying experiments were carried out at 45 °C and three different air velocities. The increase in air velocity resulted in a reduction in the periodic drying time between 10% and 36%. The optimum drying in terms of drying time and energy utilization was realized at 0.5 m/s air velocity, with a 1.5 h working time and 0.5 h waiting time. During this period, drying time increased by 19% and energy utilization was 69%. For periodic drying, the increase in oven working time causes a decrease in energy utilization, while the increase in waiting time causes an increase in energy utilization and drying time. Periodic drying had no negative effect on hazelnut oil and protein content. Periodic drying is a suitable option for saving energy during hazelnut drying. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Various Drying Technologies in Food Industry)
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16 pages, 1352 KiB  
Article
Viability of Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 Encapsulated by Ionic Gelation during Refractance Window® Drying of a Strawberry Snack
by Esmeralda Mosquera-Vivas, Alfredo Ayala-Aponte, Liliana Serna-Cock, Cristian Torres-León and Diego F. Tirado
Foods 2024, 13(6), 823; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13060823 - 07 Mar 2024
Viewed by 1470
Abstract
The selection of appropriate probiotic strains is vital for their successful inclusion in foods. These strains must withstand processing to reach consumers with ≥106 CFU/g, ensuring effective probiotic function. Achieving this in commercial products is challenging due to sensitivity to temperature during [...] Read more.
The selection of appropriate probiotic strains is vital for their successful inclusion in foods. These strains must withstand processing to reach consumers with ≥106 CFU/g, ensuring effective probiotic function. Achieving this in commercial products is challenging due to sensitivity to temperature during processing. In this work, Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 was microencapsulated by ionic gelation (with alginate or pectin) followed by polymeric coating (with whey protein concentrate or chitosan). Then, such microcapsules were incorporated into a strawberry puree, which was subsequently dehydrated at three temperatures (40 °C, 45 °C, and 50 °C) by Refractance Window®. The ultimate aim was to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed methods from a technological point of view. Kinetic curves of the probiotic’s viability showed a high cell loading (>109 CFU/g). Additionally, an average encapsulation efficiency of 91% and a particle size of roughly 200 µm were found. A decrease in the viability of the microorganism was observed as drying temperature and time increased. As a demonstration of the above, in a particular case, drying at 45 °C and 50 °C, viable cells were found up to 165 min and 90 min, respectively; meanwhile, drying at 40 °C, viable cells were reported even after 240 min. The greatest viability preservation was achieved with Refractance Window® drying at 40 °C for 240 min when microcapsules coated with whey protein concentrate were incorporated into puree; this procedure showed great potential to produce dehydrated strawberry snacks with moisture (15%), water activity (aw < 0.6), and viability (≥106 CFU/g) suitable for functional foods. The membrane-stabilizing properties of whey protein concentrate could prevent cell damage. In contrast, probiotics in chitosan-coated capsules showed reduced viability, potentially due to antimicrobial properties and the formation of cracks. These findings signify a breakthrough in the production of dehydrated snacks with the addition of probiotics, addressing challenges in preserving the viability of these probiotics during processing; thus, opening the possibility for the development of a probiotic strawberry snack. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Various Drying Technologies in Food Industry)
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18 pages, 2384 KiB  
Article
Quality Evaluation and Browning Control in the Multi-Stage Processing of Mume Fructus (Wumei)
by Lei Gao, Hui Zhang, Hui Wang, Ai-Chao Li, Min Wu, Qing-Zhu Wang and Zhi-An Zheng
Foods 2024, 13(2), 272; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13020272 - 15 Jan 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 664
Abstract
The dried Mume Fructus (MF), called Wumei in China, is a unique food with medicinal and edible effects. But its actual production method is outdated with low efficiency and inconsistent quality. This study systematically investigated the influence of moisture content (MC), temperature, and [...] Read more.
The dried Mume Fructus (MF), called Wumei in China, is a unique food with medicinal and edible effects. But its actual production method is outdated with low efficiency and inconsistent quality. This study systematically investigated the influence of moisture content (MC), temperature, and relative humidity (RH) on the browning reaction and quality characteristics of the MF and proposed a continuous processing strategy of the three-stage variable process for MF production based on the precise process control of the temperature and the RH. The production process of MF was divided into three stages: preliminary dehydration, browning, and drying. The results showed that the browning reaction rate and drying efficiency were optimal when the MC of the raw materials was reduced to 50%. In the browning stage, the degree of browning was better, and the antioxidant capacity reached the maximum of 64.38 mg/g DM under a processing temperature of 80 °C and an RH of more than 60%. As the RH increased, the drying rate decreased, and the ash content exhibited an increase. Therefore, the optimal processing parameters for the browning stage were determined to be a temperature of 80 °C and an RH of 60%. In the final drying stage, a temperature of 60 °C coupled with a dehumidification mode proved sufficient to ensure efficient drying without compromising the quality of the MF. This study revealed the reaction mechanism of the rapid browning processing of MF, which has important guiding significance for the rapid processing of browning foods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Various Drying Technologies in Food Industry)
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