Research Progress in the Application of Radio Frequency Technology in Fruit and Vegetable Drying

Drying is one of the most important technologies for fruit and vegetable processing. The energy consumption during drying and the quality of dried products are highly correlated to the selected drying methods. As a new type of physical heating technology, radio frequency (RF) heating technology has attracted much attention in recent years because of its rapid heating, volume heating effect, long energy penetration depth, even microorganism control, and enzyme deactivation. This paper mainly summarized the mechanism and characteristics of RF heating technology, the factors that affecting RF heating technology application in fruit and vegetable. Moreover, the application status of RF technology in fruit and vegetable drying, microorganism control, and enzyme deactivation are also concluded. Finally, the existing problems, possible solutions and future development trends of RF heating technology in fruit and vegetable drying are also proposed. This review could provide theoretical guidelines for RF industrial application in fruit and vegetable drying in the future.