Banana Drying Kinetics

Bananas (Musa acuminata) are one of the most important tropical fruits consumed worldwide by people of all age groups. Banana fruits are highly perishable, requiring preservation in some forms. Minimal processing, refrigeration and dehydration or drying are among the useful processes used in preserving banana fruits. Drying of banana fruits is used in reducing losses and improving food commercial value. Drying is the process of moisture removal due to simultaneous heat and mass transfer under controlled conditions. Drying as an old method of food preservation is widely embraced because it is simple, easy to operate and cost-effective. Drying also reduces bulkiness of banana through moisture loss which reduces the volume and eases handling and processing operations. This in turn reduces the costs of packaging, handling, storage and transportation. There are different drying techniques with different advantages and shortcomings. Agricultural produce have been dried for ages with natural and artificial methods to preserve them. The drying kinetics of banana is a complex phenomenon, and it is used in predicting the drying behaviour and for optimizing the drying parameters. This chapter assesses the models of drying kinetics in predicting the drying behaviour and in optimizing the drying parameters of banana fruits