Use of Solar Energy Assisted Drying Methods in the Food Industry

Abstract

Dried products are widely used from the past because of their long shelf life, rich nutrient content and availability. Solar or shade drying methods have become the most widely used drying technique from past to date, due to no equipment requirement, cost and simplicity. However, this drying method has some disadvantages such as long drying time, contamination risk and requirement of large area and heavy labor. In this review, various drying methods applied in food are summarized. Then, solar energy assisted drying methods were examined in detail. Finally, solar energy-assisted drying methods involving energy storage are examined. Solar energy assisted drying is a very advantageous technique for economical production. The most important advantages of this technique are that the system can be designed in many different ways in order to provide the desired characteristics. In addition, the availability of various energy storage units contributes to the availability of the system.