Drying is the process of moisture removal from food products due to simultaneous heat and mass transfer. It is the oldest method of preserving food quality, as removing water from food by circulating hot air can then prohibit the growth of enzymes and bacteria and delay other degradative reactions such as lipid oxidation, nonenzymatic browning, and hydrolysis. The process of drying also extends the shelf life of perishable foods like fruits and vegetables, by reducing the water content to the desired level at which microbial spoilage and chemical reactions are minimized. By extending shelf life and safety, drying also facilitates transport and storage.

Due to increasing resistance to the use of chemicals as food preservatives, high-quality dried foods with good rehydration properties have become the subject of renewed interest and researchers are actively developing high-quality dried foods. However, the drying process affects the characteristics of foods, including taste, texture, and appearance. Moreover, certain drying techniques result in the occurrence of browning, caramelization, and a loss of flavor and volatile compounds. There are many types of drying methods used in the food industry, such as solar, hot air, spray drying, microwave, osmotic dehydration, spouted bed, ultrasound, microwave, electrohydrodynamic, and freeze drying. Selection of the right drying method is a crucial step in obtaining a high-quality dried product and preserving heat-sensitive nutrients, desired color, and texture. This is achieved by utilizing novel drying technologies, by improving and optimizing existing drying methods, and discovering new drying techniques.

The Special Issue covers drying processes and their impact on food properties and composition, regarding any change in nutritional quality, texture and sensory aspects, and activity or concentration of biomolecules. We welcome both original research and review articles. Potential topics include the drying of fruits, vegetables, dairy ingredients, and other food products, their drying behavior, structural interactions, the analytical methods involved, and their contribution to quality and nutrition.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Effect of drying on the physicochemical and techno-functional properties of food
• Optimization of process parameters of emerging dryers to preserve food quality
• Development of combined/hybrid dryer for quality retention in fruits and vegetables
• Dryers for processing and preserving the nutritional components of grains
• Refractive window drying and its implication in food quality
• Cold dryers for producing nutritionally enriched, minimally processed fruits and vegetables
• Experimental and mathematical simulation of food quality during drying
• Drying and retention of bioactive components in spices and sea foods in a solar greenhouse dryer