Dehydration

as a Food Preservation
Method

LESSON 8
Lesson Objectives
illustrate the underlying concepts of various methods of food
dehydration
outline the basis for extension of storage life of foods by
dehydration
compare and contrast methods for dehydrating different
foods, and the consequences in terms of food quality
explain factors affecting the rate of dehydration
describe the packaging requirements for foods dehydrated by
various dehydration methods
The process of dehydration

During dehydration:
1. Heat /energy - transferred to the food promoting water
removal from the food

2. Water - transferred from the food into the dehydrating

environment
Preservation principle Water activity

• Microbial growth need specific aw

• Staphylococcus aureus (aw 0.85)- pathogen!
• Mould (need aw > 0.6)
• Below 0.6 no microbial growth
• Enzymatic reactions
• Chemical reactions (eg. Maillard browning) at aw > 0.3

In dehydration the water is physically removed to lower the water

activity (aw)

Dehydrated foods have low water activity (aw 0.2-0.6)

But Microorganisms are not killed and resume growth after the
food is rehydrated
 E.coli, Salmonella (aw 0.95)
Staphylococcus aureus (aw 0.85)
Mould (aw > 0.6)
Chemical reactions (eg. Maillard
browning) at aw > 0.3

Water activity (aw ) for some dehydrated and concentrated

foods
Product aw
Whole milk powder 0.03
dehydrated soups
Noodles 0.50

Dried Fruits: berries, apples, apricots, raisins 0.60

(grapes)
Fruit juice concentrates, condensed milk 0.80
 Note differences between
Concentration and Dehydration

⚫Both use physical removal of free water from foods:

❖Dehydration:

❖removal of as much water from the food as possible

❖imparts a long storage life.

 Note differences between
Concentration and Dehydration ( cont…)

❖ Concentration:
❖ some of the water is removed from the food
❖ “concentrate” the food constituents

❖ Concentrated foods are not fully shelf-stable

❖ other forms of food preservation:
refrigeration, freezing, dehydration, thermal
processing…

❖ Fruit juices concentrates, jams, evaporated milk, condensed

milk, maple syrup
Changes during Dehydration
⚫Shrinkage
⚫Case hardening
⚫Chemical changes
Not all dehydration methods result in these changes
Newer techniques try to protect the product against
these changes
 Changes during Dehydration
⚫ Shrinkage • Water migrates from the interior of the food to
the surface where it evaporates & is carried away by
the dehydrating medium…
• As water migrates to the surface of the food it
carries with it the water soluble substances
dissolved in it.
Changes during Dehydration

⚫Case hardening

◦ Rapid drying causes compounds (such as sugars) to form a

hard, fairly impermeable case around the food piece

◦ Can cause the rate of dehydration to decrease

◦ Common in high-sugar products

⚫ tropical & temperate fruit products
Case hardening…

50x 100x
 Changes during Dehydration
Chemical changes
• Browning and flavour changes
• Maillard browning ↑ as the conc. of solutes ↑
• Denaturation of proteins, aggregation of
polysaccharides

• loss of water-binding capacity

• Loss of water-soluble components or
• Conc. on the surface of the food (leads to case
hardening)
• Loss of volatiles (esp flavour compounds)
Grapes vs. Raisins…

⚫Think about differences in:

◦ Appearance
◦ Texture
◦ Flavour (aroma + taste)
Note: 4.5 lb of grapes = 1 lb raisins!

⚫Which one is sweeter?

⚫Which one will be shelf stable at room temperature?
⚫Why?
 Factors affecting Dehydration
• Surface area (surface to volume ratio)

• Temperature of the drying air

• Air velocity

• Humidity of the drying air

• Atmospheric pressure and vacuum

 Factors affecting Dehydration
⚫Surface area (surface to volume ratio)
◦ Smaller food piece,

◦ more surface to volume ratio- faster the moisture loss

⚫Temperature
◦ ↑ temp. will ↑ Dehydration (DH) rate
 Factors affecting Dehydration
⚫Air velocity
◦ Maximize velocity of heated air moving around the food
particles
⚫Humidity of drying air
◦ The drier the air, the more moisture it can absorb

◦ % RH of drying air determines the final moisture content

of food
Factors affecting Dehydration
Atmospheric pressure and vacuum

◦ Water boils at 100°C (at a pressure of 1 atm =760 mm Hg) At

lower pressure, the boiling temperature will decrease

◦ e.g. under vacuum,

◦ 185 mm Hg water will boil at 65°C

◦ 31.7 mm Hg water will boil at 30°C

◦ important for heat-sensitive food products

Methods for Dehydration
(“Drying Methods”)
⚫ Sun Drying

⚫ Spray Drying

⚫ Tray and Tunnel Air Drying

⚫ Drum Drying

⚫ Freeze Drying

⚫ Vacuum Microwave Drying

⚫ Deep Fat Frying

⚫ Vacuum Extrusion Drying

Compare and Contrast Questions
Tray drying vs Sun drying
Spray drying vs Drum drying
Freeze drying vs Vacuum Microwave drying

Feature to compare
◦ Principle
◦ Process time (slow or fast)
◦ Quality and sensory attributes
 Drying Methods- Sun drying
• Dry, warm climates
• Slow drying method (several days)
• Fruits, vegetables, fish
• Inexpensive
• Invasion by insects, birds, rodents, microorganisms
• Shrinkage
• Loss of volatiles
• Poor rehydration
Saffron
 Drying Methods- Tray (Air) Drying
• Trays or racks

• Heated air at a set velocity and with low

%RH

• Quick & inexpensive

• Pasta, vegetables, fruit, spices

• Poor/moderate rehydration properties

Food shrinkage, dense product

• Case hardening may happen

Tray drying

Note the counter-

current flow of
food and hot air
Air (tray) dried
RH of air: 40%
Aw: 0.25
Tray (Air) dried strawberries
7-10 hrs
Spray drying
 Drying Methods- Spray drying
• Liquid foods

• Tiny droplets of food are sprayed into a stream of

heated air (fine powder)

• Rapid method

• Good rehydration

• Powder skim milk, instant coffee, tea, eggs

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

Drum drying
 Drying Methods- Drum Drying

• Semi-solid foods: food paste, purees

• Rotated heated drum

• Rapid drying (thin layer)

• Dried food is scraped off (flakes)

• Re-hydration is fairly good

• Mashed potatoes, baby cereal,

 Drying Methods
Freeze-drying (lyophilization)
◦ Food must be in the frozen state first

◦ Placed in a vacuum chamber

◦ Low heat provided from radiant heaters –energy

◦ Water will sublime: Water (solid) → Water (vapour)

⚫ no transition through the liquid state

⚫ not a rapid method- depending on the size, it may

take hours/days to complete dehydration
Freeze-drying (lyophilization)
(cont…..)
• Voids from ice crystals when water sublimes (act as channels)-→
Excellent rehydration
• No translocation of water-soluble constituents to the surface
• Shape of food is retained (no shrinkage)
• Flavour is retained
• food closely resemble starting material
• Very expensive($$)
• Used for high-value expensive food
• high-quality coffee, vegetables, military rations, space food
Freeze drying

Source: adapted from Food Science and Nutritional health by T.P. Labuza and J.W. Erdman. West Publishing
Co., St. Paul MN. 1984.
Freeze dried dough
Freeze dried products

– Very expensive ($$)

– ”high value foods”
Instant soups, coffee,
vegetables, military food, space
food
 Drying Methods
Vacuum Microwave Drying
• Vacuum (keep temp. low = lower boiling point)
• Microwave (rapid energy transfer)
• High-quality products
• Less nutrient loss
• Flavour retention, less colour change
• Complete rehydration
• Quick drying method (minutes vs hours compared to
freeze-drying)
• Very expensive ($$$)
 Drying Methods
Deep-fat frying
◦ Hot oil → evaporation of water

◦ Food will “pick up” oil

◦ Snack foods, bakery products

e.g. instant noodles!

• frying: 140-150oC, 1-2 min
compared to
• hot-air drying: 80oC, 30 min
 Drying Methods
Extrusion drying
◦ A slurry of food – steam heating, under pressure →
release pressure → steam  (puffing)

◦ The moist heat causes starch gelatinization and

cooking of the product.

◦ eg. breakfast cereals, snack foods

Extrusion Drying

Die cuts
food into
the
desired
shape

Food expands (puffs)

as it is released

Source:Understanding Food Science and Technology by P. S. Murano.

Wadsworth/Thomson Learning Inc. 2003
 Packaging requirements for
dehydrated foods

⚫ Protect against moisture absorption

– DH foods – hygroscopic
– prevent transmission of water vapour
⚫ Physical protection
– Prevent crushing
– Freeze dried foods – porous structure
with spaces; easily crushed
⚫ Protection from O2 and light
– Photo-oxidation
Terms to remember
Water activity
Dehydration vs. Concentration
Case hardening
Water soluble components
Sublimation
Hygroscopic
Atmospheric pressure & vacuum
Different dehydration methods (sun drying, tray (air) drying,
freeze drying, etc.)