Effect of drying techniques on quality and sensory properties of tropical fruits

Drying is a popular food preservation technology that reduces food waste and promotes food preservation and food security. Though drying reduces microbial growth and increases shelf life of fruits, it alters sensory properties both favourably and unfavourably depending on the nature of the drying process applied and significantly influences the final product quality. However, there is currently no review article on the impact of the drying process on the sensorial quality attributes of tropical fruits. This review attempts to describe the relative merits and challenges of some widely used advanced drying techniques with a particular focus on intermittent microwave convective drying (IMCD) techniques which offer high sensory properties with excellent drying efficiency. The paper aims to provide an insight into the effect of these drying techniques on the sensory qualities of tropical fruits to identify the best drying method for future food applications.