Meet the editor

Dr. Jelena D. Jovanović is a research professor at the Institute of General and Physical Chemistry, Belgrade, Serbia. Her interests include advanced and smart materials, polymers, composites, hydrogels, poly(siloxanes), synthesis and polymerizations, and physicochemical processes (adsorption, extraction, swelling, dehydration, drug-release) under both conventional and non-conventional conditions (microwaves, ultrasonic,

cavitation). Dr. Jovanovic is also interested in hydrogels and the effects of external fields on reaction kinetics. She has worked on novel methods of kinetics analysis. Dr. Jovanović has extensive experience working on international projects and has stayed abroad several times. She is a reviewer for international journals and an external expert for the European Commission for proposal evaluations.

## Contents


Preface

This book discusses dehydration processes. Chapter 1 examines the significance of water and dehydration processes in general. It reviews the two dehydration processes of food dehydration and hydrogel dehydration. It presents the physical basics of dehydration and discusses the state of water in food and hydrogels. Regarding food dehydration, the chapter demonstrates the significance of controlling the structuralkinetic states of water and their effect on the structural and sensing properties of dehydrated food. Regarding hydrogel dehydration, the chapter discusses its practical and theoretical importance and suitability for modeling the kinetics of food dehydration. The chapter also presents novel kinetic models that can describe hydrogel

Chapter 2 presents recent developments in energy-efficient drying technologies for food dehydration. The authors discuss conventional dehydration processes based on solar dehydration, trash drying, smoke, drum, spray dehydration, fluidized bed drying, and freeze drying. They also describe advanced drying processes that include infrared, microwave, ultrasonic and other non-conventional drying techniques. Innovative food dehydrating methods use less energy and therefore contribute to environmental protection. During the dehydration process, some changes in dried food products may occur. Novel dehydration methods better conserve the chemical structure, color, taste, flavor, and appearance of the dried product. The chapter shows that the various dehydration techniques do not affect the fundamental structure of polysaccharides and that certain foods subjected to dehydration processes exhibit

Chapter 3 reviews the state of the art in dehydration assisted by microwave (MW), infrared radiation (IR), and radio frequency (RF) applied to food drying, specifically to foods such as bananas and apples. It discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each method compared to conventional drying systems. IR dehydration in comparison to conventional dehydration exhibits certain advantages, such as a higher heating rate, shorter drying time, and greater quality of the dried product. As such, IR drying techniques are increasingly being used method for drying food, vegetables, grains, fruits, and other high-value products. MW has also been widely applied in the drying of various foods and is a proven method for improving the drying process and quality of dried products. RF has also been studied and applied in food processing. Each of the methods discussed in this chapter can be combined with other drying methods, such as hot air drying, heat pump drying, vacuum drying, and freeze drying.

Chapter 4 presents the theoretical basis of hybrid drying techniques based on MW drying, which can be enhanced via combination with other drying methods such as hot air drying, freeze drying, vacuum drying, and fluidized bed drying. Using MW in hybrid drying significantly enhances drying rates, making it a novel approach to retaining the quality of dried products. Each hybrid drying method has its own advantages. For example, hot air drying speeds up the removal of moisture from

dehydration with great precision and reliability.

increased total phenolic content.
