Reams of paper have been used to present equations for describing drying or dehydration of foods, but still it seems that many approaching the subject struggle with understanding what occurs and how best to develop a drying process. Here is a brief tutorial.
Why Dry?
One of the more obvious motivations for drying foods is to preserve perishables by reducing the water activity (aW)below that needed by pathogens or spoilage microorganisms to grow; this level varies with the food and the microorganis…