Drying

Drying is the oldest method for food preservation known to man. At present, the dehydration part of the food industry is a significant part of production process all over the world.

Dryers vary from small, simple sun dryers to large and complex dryer plants. There is a vast range of dried food products on the market, including vegetables, fruit, meat, fish and other seafood, cereals and dairy products. Dried ingredients are frequently used for soups, beverages, sauces and complete meals. A lot of research work has been carried out to improve the product quality and convenience as well as the processes required to produce dried foods. Once water is added, modern foods are reconstituted in seconds into tasty products with good aroma and texture. These are important products in the convenience food market.
 
SINTEF has been engaged for years in helping improve the drying processes for food. The development of processes that give better product quality has been given high priority. This involves improving the taste and aroma, reduced loss of nutrients, and reduced temperature load during drying. Other issues are reducing the energy consumption required in these processes (especially combined with heat pumps) and lowering the environmental impacts (for instance by using a closed loop drying cycle). SINTEF’s staff in the Dewatering Laboratory combine technological know-how and research experience to provide the kind of innovative solutions required by the food industry.

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