Relationship between raw material characteristics and dehydration parameters of vegetables dried using a new kind of solar dryer

Abstract

In the last few years, an increasing demand for innovative products in response to changing lifestyles has led to a strong increase in out-of-home food consumption. Consumers are also becoming more interested in consuming healthy, natural, and tasty foods because of their positive role in the treatment of a certain type of chronic degenerative diseases (Bazzano et al. 2002). Dried food products constitute an important sector of innovative snacks, in particular fruits and vegetables (F&V)-based products.