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 tropical fruits and vegetables such as
banana, sapota, pineapple, mango, and leafy vegetables etc. with retention of initial fruit and vegetables
characteristics viz., colour, aroma and nutritional compounds (Pokharkar & Prasad, 1998). It is less energy
intensive than air or vacuum drying processes 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
(osmotic concentration) and subsequent dehydration in a dryer where moisture content is further reduced to
make the product shelf stable (Ponting, 1973).