Loraine Ruth Lumen March 30, 2019
FS 236
A Reaction Paper on “The Drying of Foods and Its Effect on the Physical-Chemical,
Sensorial and Nutritional Properties”
Raquel P. F. Guiné’s article entitled The Drying of Foods and Its Effect on the
Physical-Chemical, Sensorial and Nutritional Properties discusses the definition and
process of drying, different types of drying: its advances, and effect on attributes of food.
Drying is one of the numerous methods done to preserve food by reduction or removal of
water through vaporization or sublimation. Although considered an ancient practice, it is
still widely used today. Through drying, shelf life of food will be increased, space
requirements and use of refrigeration systems will be reduced, and food supply containing
different textures and flavors is varied. Solar drying is considered the most traditional type
of drying and due to its disadvantages, many drying technologies have been discovered.
This includes pretreatments, techniques, equipment, and product quality. Commonly used
drying methods are solar drying, hot air convection drying, spray drying, lyophilization,
infrared drying, microwave drying, radiofrequency drying, osmotic drying, and combination
of these methods. Different commodities have been preserved through drying such as
fruits, horticultural products like vegetables, herbs and spices, dairy products, fish, and
meat. Each commodity uses a different type of drying method depending on the effect of
drying on its organoleptic and nutritional properties since drying can alter the said
properties.
What I liked about the article is that it is very comprehensive. It was able to inform
the reader about the different types of drying as well as the advantages and disadvantages
of each method, the typical products that undergo drying, and the effects of drying on food
properties. Most of the methods stated are usually done both in small and big scale. I
agree with the author that some of the methods like freeze drying, infrared, microwave,
and the likes are costly although process efficiency is increased and the quality of products
are enhanced. So, only big companies are able to use such methods. I would also like to
put emphasis on pretreatment, drying conditions, and storage conditions. Pretreatment is
usually done to avoid discoloration and production of off flavors. For the drying and storage
conditions, temperature is considered as it can affect the texture, color, chemical
composition, nutritional value, and aroma of food. These factors are important as it has a
great effect on the organoleptic and nutritional properties of food which can affect the
overall quality of the finished product.
Here in the Philippines, drying is done on all types of commodities cited by the
author. However, few commodities have been studied and data is not usually available to
the general public. Even though there is an emergence of new commodities and products
in the recent years, studies on the most efficient drying method (usually for postharvest)
for each commodity has not been done. Drying facilities in the country are not easily
accessible and usually, small scale processors still use traditional solar drying due to the
low cost even with its disadvantages. Further study is really needed in the country for us
to have a strong database on drying methods as well as the proper pretreatment and
storage conditions to optimize the quality of our products.
In conclusion, drying and dehydration has been beneficial to the food industry by
providing a diversified selection of foods in the market, despite being an ancient practice
of food preservation. Throughout the years, food scientist and engineers have done
research to further improve the drying process resulting in a more efficient way to preserve
the shelf life and properties of each produce. However, further studies are still needed to
be conducted on different commodities for data availability. I would recommend this article
to people who are willing to learn more about drying, its advances, and its effect on food.
