Abstract
Osmotic dehydration has received greater attention in recent years as an effective method for preservation of
fruits and vegetables. Being a simple process, it facilitates processing of fruits and vegetables such as banana,
sapota, fig, guava, pineapple, apple mango, grapes, carrots, pumpkins, etc. with retention of initial fruit
characteristics viz., colour, aroma, texture and nutritional composition. It is less energy intensive than air or
vacuum drying process because it can be conducted at low or ambient temperature. It has potential advantages
for the processing industry to maintain the food quality and to preserve the wholesomeness of the food. It
involves dehydration of fruit slices in two stages, removal of water using as an osmotic agent and subsequent
dehydration in a dryer where moisture content is further reduced to make the product shelf stable.