Dehydration of tropical fruits

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingBook chapterResearchpeer-review

Tropical fruits are defined as those fruits that grow well in the tropical region (between the Tropic of Cancer in the north and the Tropic of Capricorn in the south), the region where the temperature and the length of the day varies little throughout the year and frosting scarcely occurs. The fruits are rich sources of vitamins, especially A and C, minerals, carbohydrates and flavour for the people of the tropical regions and beyond. Although most tropical fruits are cultivated for fresh consumption, a few of them including avocado, banana, carambola, coconut, guava, kiwi, lychee, mango, papaya, passion fruit and pineapple undergo significant processing before consumption (1). However, they are highly perishable and in the absence of adequate modern handling, transportation and storage facilities in these regions, there is considerable loss due to spoilage which is aggravated by high ambient temperatures ling practises (2). Among the several process technologies, the major ones being canning, freezing and dehydration, which have been employed on an industrial scale to preserve fruits, dehydration is especially suited for developing countries with poorly established low-temperature and thermal facilities. Drying brings about substantial reduction in weight and volume, minimising packing, storage and transportation costs, and storability of the dried product under ambient temperatures, features that are especially important for developing countries (3).

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationHandbook of Food Science, Technology, and Engineering - 4 Volume Set
Number of pages18
PublisherCRC Press
Publication date1 Jan 2005
Pages1984-2001
ISBN (Print)9780849398476
ISBN (Electronic)9781466507876
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2005

ID: 259067164