1. INTRODUCTION
Drying of fruit and vegetables is one of the oldest forms of food preservation method known to man and is the most
important process to preserve food since it has great effect on the quality of the dried products. The major objective in
drying agricultural products is the reduction of the moisture content to a level, which allows safe storage over an extended
period. The removal of moisture prevents the growth and reproduction of microorganisms which cause decay, and
minimizes many of the moisture-mediated deteriorative reactions. It brings about substantial reduction in weight and
volume, minimizing packing, storage and transportation costs and enables storability of the product under ambient
temperatures (Mujumdar, 1995). During drying many changes take place; structural and physic-chemical modifications
affect the final product quality, and the quality aspects involved in dry conversation in relation to the quality of fresh
products and applied drying techniques. Currently hot air drying is the most widely used method in post-harvest technology
of agricultural products. Using this method, a more uniform, hygienic and attractively colored dried product can be
produced rapidly.