Innovations and Advances in Drying Processes and Technologies in Food Processing: Principles, Methods, and Applications

Dear Colleagues,

Drying is an essential component in food processing that directly impacts product quality, safety, and shelf life. Recent developments in drying processes and technologies have led to significant improvements in energy efficiency, environmental sustainability, and product integrity. This Special Issue focuses on cutting-edge advancements in drying methods, such as novel hybrid technologies, energy-efficient systems, and the optimization of drying parameters for different food materials.

The Special Issue will feature contributions that explore drying kinetics, the influence of drying on food nutritional and sensory attributes, industrial-scale applications, and the integration of drying with other food processing operations. The goal is to promote knowledge exchange and provide comprehensive insights into future directions of drying technologies in the food industry.

The aim of this Special Issue is to showcase the latest innovations and advancements in drying processes and technologies that play a pivotal role in modern food processing. Drying is a key unit operation in preserving food products, enhancing shelf life, and maintaining nutritional and sensory qualities. This Special Issue invites original research, reviews, and case studies focused on novel methods, optimization techniques, and energy-efficient approaches to drying technologies in food processing.

The scope covers a wide range of topics, including, but not limited to, the following:

• Drying kinetics and modelling in various food materials;
• Novel and hybrid drying technologies (e.g., freeze-drying, microwave drying, vacuum drying, infrared drying);
• Energy-efficient and eco-friendly drying systems;
• Exergy, Exergo-economic, and life-cycle assessment of drying systems and the food processing in industry;
• Impact of drying processes on food quality, nutritional value, and sensory properties;
• Advances in drying process control, automation, and real-time monitoring;
• Industrial-scale applications of drying processes in food manufacturing;
• Process optimization and integration of drying with other food processing technologies;
• Post-drying packaging, handling, and storage strategies to maintain product stability;
• Advances in sensors and smart technologies for improving drying efficiency and accuracy;
• Case studies on sustainable and low-energy drying solutions.

This Special Issue aims to provide a platform for researchers, practitioners, and industry experts to share innovations and insights that address both practical and theoretical challenges in food drying technologies.

Dr. Iman Golpour
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• drying processes
• food processing technologies
• drying kinetics
• novel drying methods
• energy-efficient drying systems
• freeze-drying
• microwave drying
• infrared drying
• vacuum drying
• solar dryer
• solar-assisted heat pump system
• hybrid drying technologies
• heat and mass transfer in drying
• food quality in drying
• nutritional retention during drying
• shelf-life extension
• sustainable food drying
• drying process optimization
• industrial food drying applications
• drying automation and control
• post-drying packaging and storage
• smart drying technologies
• exergy and advanced exergy analysis
• exergo-economic and environmental assessment