Author(s): Dr. Rajlakshmi Tripathi and Apoorva Soni

Abstract:
Food is our basic need. In developing countries, where providing enough food according to the population is a complex problem, the wastage of food adds to the problem. Fruits and vegetables are an integral part of our diet, which provide us vitamins, minerals and antioxidants along with fiber. Due to their high moisture content, fresh fruits and vegetables have a low storage capacity and are highly perishable. Fruits and vegetables decay because of microbiological, chemical, or physical damage. Developers and food processors use a range of preservation techniques to reduce post-harvest losses, increase availability, offer variety, and increase the value of the products they produce. Food preservation is a comprehensive procedure that entails numerous food processing steps to maintain the food's internal and external quality at the required level in order to preserve its nutritional value and maximize its benefits. Dehydration technology has seen several alterations due to human curiosity and the expansion of civilization. Successful innovations include fourth generation drying techniques, which need less time and effort to create goods of higher quality. Through this review, the working principles of various drying processes and the outcomes of their use in diverse studies have been examined. While freeze drying can keep the color and shape of the fruit and vegetable, the IR Drying Technique saves more time and energy. One of the simplest and least expensive ways to dehydrate is through microwave drying. The organoleptic qualities of food can be preserved with the osmotic-dehydration approach while still producing a dry product. Depending on the nature of the food product and the available resources, better quality dried products can be prepared by using suitable dehydration techniques as per the requirement.