Drying is an important unit operation used in industry for processing and preservation of food products. Although a large volume of technical literature is available on drying of foods, it is still challenging for scientists and engineers to improve continuously upon the quality of dried products and existing drying systems. This book will aid processors in their search for cost-effective and energy-efficient drying techniques allowing them to succeed commercially in their ventures as well as to fulfill consumer-demand for high-quality products. Drying Technologies for Foods contains state-of-the art knowledge on several key aspects of drying ranging from fundamental principles, classification and selection, different types of conventional and modern techniques, drying of different food materials, advances in packaging of dried products, control and safety, energy calculation, modeling to advances in food drying.

Comprehensive yet concise chapters cover different types of drying technologies; this book describes freeze, heat pump, spray, superheated steam, microwave drying and many other drying technologies. Discussion of specific food-related drying including drying of fruit, leather, medicinal herbs, cocoa and coffee beans, mushroom, and protein among others are covered in the book. Chapters are also presented on quality of dried food such as degradation mechanism and kinetics of vitamin C, antioxidants, delinquencies and caking phenomena. Control and safety, energy calculations, modeling are also included with emphasis on industrial applications. Artificial Neural Networks and computational modeling techniques as well as application of computer vision in food drying followed by a chapter on advances in food dryer are covered in some detail, again highlighting potential applications.

Prabhat K. Nema is an Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Food Engineering at NIFTEM, India. He obtained B. Tech. in Agricultural Engg from JNKVV, Jabalpur (1995) and M. Tech. in Dairy & Food Engineering from IIT, Kharagpur in India (1997). He has experience of working in Food Industry for about 4 years. He completed his PhD from IIT Kharagpur in Dairy and Food Engg (2008). He has more than 17 years of experience at various universities including NERIST (Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh), JNKVV (Jabalpur, MP), RVSKVV (Gwalior, MP), AAU (Anand, Gujarat) and NIFTEM (Kundli, Haryana). He has published research articles in journals of national and international repute. He is reviewer of many food related journals. He has been instrumental in developing labs, conducting funded research projects, guiding research projects for number of food professionals at UG, PG and PhD level. He offers consultancy services in the area of food processing. He is also recipient of Seligman APV Award by Society of Chemical Industry, London (UK) which enabled him to have research experience in the University of Reading (UK) in 2007. As a member of NIFTEM delegation, he has visited various academic and research institutions in Germany and the Netherland in 2013. He was awarded Travel Grant by Department of Science and Technology, Government of India to deliver Keynote speech and Chair Technical Session in Asia Pacific Drying Conference in Wuxi, China in 2017. He has organized First International Conference (2013), First and Second Drying Workshop (2014 & 2015) and various training programmes at NIFTEM.

Barjinder Pal Kaur is Assistant Professor in the Department of Food Engineering NIFTEM, India. She obtained her B. Tech. (2006) in Agricultural Engineering and M. Tech. (2009) in Processing and Food Engineering from Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. She did her PhD from Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (2016). She is author of several scientific articles published in prestigious national and international journals. She has guided several MTech and BTech students as a research supervisor. She is also associated with various journals of international repute as an editorial board member and reviewer.

Prof. Arun S. Mujumdar is an eminent Distinguished Professor who has worked with McGill University, Canada and National University of Singapore, Singapore as well as several esteemed universities around the world. He obtained B. Chem. Eng. (Distinction) from University of Mumbai followed by M. Eng. and Ph.D. from McGill University, Canada. He was awarded Doctor Honoris Causa, Lodz Tech. Univ., Poland & Lyon Univ., France. He has been a Distinguished Engineering Fellow and Visiting Professor, Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Hong Kong; Platinum Jubilee Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, India & Adjunct Professor of Bioresource Engineering as well as Mining and Materials Engg at McGill University, Canada. He has served as Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering (2000-2013) & as a Director, Minerals, Metals & Materials Technology Centre (M3TC) (2006-2013) at National University of Singapore, Singapore. At present he is also associated with NIFTEM, India as Professor Emeritus in the Department of Food Engg as well as with the Department of Chemical & Biochemical Engineering, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada. Professor Mujumdar, Editor-in-Chief of Drying Technology -An International Journal, is popularly known as Drying Guru and a world class Philosopher and Practitioner, a Mentor, an Organizer, a Leader and above all a Distinguished Prolific Researcher in Multidisciplinary fields. He has published more than 500 journal publications with over 350 conference papers and over 75 plenary / keynote lectures at international conferences. He has to his credit more than 50 international conferences as Organizer / Chair of Scientific Committees. He has guided 60 PhDs and 40 post-doctoral fellows. Prof. Mujumdar has 3 authored books; 60+ edited books; 120+ book chapters and 8 e-books. He was President and Principal Consultant, Exergex Corp., Canada, (1989-2000) and has consulted for over 70 companies. He has won numerous major international awards, He is the only recipient of two highest level national awards by the Government of China for International Cooperation in Science and Technology in January 2014 and the Friendship Award in September 2014.