Combination of osmotic dehydration with microwave assisted air drying offers increased flexibility for process control
and product quality. Osmotic dehydration (55◦Brix solution at 40 ◦C for 90 min) combined with microwave assisted
air drying (MWAD) was tested on smooth cayenne pineapples. The influence of the four most relevant processing
parameters (osmotic treatment time, microwave power, air temperature and air velocity) was studied using a 24
circumscribed central composite experimental design.