Influence of Drying on Food Bioactives

Abstract

In the past, research and development in food drying had focused on the processes as much as on the products. The technology was aimed to extend the food shelf-life without paying due attention to retaining quality attributes. However, recently, considerable efforts have been made to study and develop dehydrated products with higher nutritional quality. In this regard, the concept of functional food appeared to describe the potential of foods to improve human health by providing essential nutrients as carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and other substances present in small amount as vitamins, minerals and bioactive compounds, with a large variety of health benefits. This chapter has the purpose of finding general tendencies to describe the impact of the more relevant variables involved on drying processes on bioactives in foods. After conducting an extensive literature review, a conclusion has been drawn on the fact that interaction of factors during drying, the bioactives extraction procedures and the nature of the food matrix finally determine retention. Beyond the nutritional topic, organoleptic and economic parameters must be considered in applied research for the selection of a drying method, adding complexity to the practice. By combining experiments and mathematical simulation that considers all coupled factors acting simultaneously, the science and technology of bioactives, and their retention will improve from the present state of affairs.