Non-Destructive In-Process Quality Evaluation Of Plant-Sourced Food During Drying

Abstract

Plant-sourced food has a crucial role in the human food supply as the source of calories and many valuable micronutrient compounds that enhance a balanced and healthy lifestyle. However, a portion of food intended for human consumption produced globally become wastage per year because of a lack of proper processing and preservation technologies. Drying is one of the broadly utilised preservation technologies in plant-sourced food. Most drying studies focused on post-process evaluation on product quality; meanwhile, monitoring and controlling amid the drying process (in-process) is essential because these activities can improve the drying condition and optimise the end product’s quality. Furthermore, the non-destructive inspection method is essential in developing smart food processing units and can be more efficient, rapid, reduced sample waste, and environmentally friendly than traditional inspection methods. The authors also discuss the overview of quality parameters investigated during plant-sourced food drying with in-process and non-destructive quality evaluation techniques. Finally, the authors also discuss the prospects and challenges of the real-time and non-destructive quality evaluation application.