Advanced Drying Technologies for Foods

The goal of all drying research and development is to develop cost-effective innovative processes that yield high-quality dried products with less energy consumption and reduced environmental impact. With the literature on drying widely scattered, Advanced Drying Technologies for Foods compiles under one cover concise, authoritative, up-to-date assessments of modern drying technologies applied to foods. This book assembles a number of internationally recognized experts to provide critical reviews of advanced drying technologies, their merits and limitations, application areas and research opportunities for further development. Features: Provides critical reviews of advanced drying technologies Discusses the merits and limitations of a variety of food drying technologies Explains drying kinetics, energy consumption and quality of food products Reviews the principles and recent applications of superheated steam drying The first four chapters deal with recent developments in field-assisted drying technologies. These include drying techniques with the utilization of electromagnetic fields to deliver energy required for drying, for example, microwave drying, radio frequency drying, electrohydrodynamic drying, and infrared radiation drying. The remainder of this book covers a wide assortment of recently developed technologies, which include pulse drying, swell drying, impinging stream drying, and selected advances in spray drying. The final chapter includes some innovative technologies which are gaining ground and are covered in depth in a number of review articles and handbooks, and hence covered briefly in the interest completeness. This book is a valuable reference work for researchers in academia as well as industry and will encourage further research and development and innovations in food drying technologies.