Ultrasound Technology for Enhancing Drying Efficiency and Quality of Fruits and Vegetables: A Review

Abstract

Drying is a common technique to improve the shelf life of food products. Hot air drying and vacuum drying like conventional drying techniques have low drying rates, which may lead to the loss of nutrients in the product. As an emerging non-thermal drying intensification technology, ultrasound finds widespread application in the domain of fruit and vegetable drying. By leveraging physical phenomena, such as cavitation effect, sponge effect, mechanical effect, and thermal effect, ultrasound facilitates the migration of moisture and material transport within fruits and vegetables, thereby expediting the drying process and enhancing its uniformity. This comprehensive review centers its attention on the augmentation of fruit and vegetable drying through ultrasound, encompassing an in-depth exploration of the principles behind ultrasound intensification, the various methods of application, the consequential effects on drying efficiency and quality, as well as the accompanying challenges and future prospects. The results showed that the application of ultrasound in drying effectively shortened the drying time and helped to improve the physicochemical quality attributes of fruits and vegetables, such as color, texture, microstructure, bioactive components, antioxidant capacity, and microbial quality. Thus, ultrasound has great potential in fruit and vegetable drying, as it offers innovative drying solutions for the fruit and vegetable industry, while driving progress in the field.