A system for dehydrating raw produce without introducing excess heat to the produce, including a first chamber for holding warm, moist air, a second chamber connected in fluidic communication with the first chamber for cooling and drying warm, moist air received from the first chamber, and a filter operationally connected between the first and second chambers for removing suspended particulates from warm, moist air flowing therethrough with a drain operationally connected to the second chamber for removing water therefrom. A third chamber is connected in fluidic communication with the second chamber for receiving cool, dry air therefrom and for receiving raw produce for drying, and a wind current generator operationally connected to the second chamber to urge cool, dry air therefrom and into the third chamber.

A process for the production of a nest-shaped food product containing strips of a dried vegetable, preferably a garden vegetable, storable at room temperature for at least 7 days is disclosed. The process involves providing at least one fresh vegetable which has been previously washed, cutting the vegetable into strips, feeding the vegetable strips in metered amounts into a perforated mold, subjecting the strips to a stabilization heat treatment by means of saturated steam, drying the thermally stabilized strips by means of a flow of hot air so as to obtain a nest containing dried strips of vegetable with a moisture content of between 8% and 16% by weight of their total weight. The invention also concerns a nest-shaped food product which is obtained by means of the process and which may optionally contain strips of durum wheat semolina pasta.

Problem to be Solved An object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a textured protein material having a meat-like fibrous texture. Solution The textured protein material having a meat-like fibrous texture can be produced by feeding a flat-sheet-like textured protein material prepared via pressurization and heating, and then extrusion by an extruder through cutting blade rolls composed of a pair of rolls facing each other and having a plurality of square-blade-like annular blades arranged in parallel, thereby making slits sheared on the topside and the underside of the textured protein material in the same direction as the extruded direction.

A plant for the treatment of vegetable products includes a chamber having walls arranged to delimit an internal environment, which, during the operation of the plant, is closed and isolated with respect to the external environment, the products to be treated being intended to be positioned within such chamber; a lighting apparatus positioned within the chamber and configured to emit infrared radiation on the products to be treated; a ventilation apparatus to circulate air inside the chamber; and a dehumidification apparatus configured to control humidity conditions inside the chamber.

The present disclosure relates to, inter alfa, processes for improving shelf-life and flavoring of fresh-cut/fresh vegetables, as well as food products produced by these processes. In accordance with the present disclosure, the processes generally include various new combinations of steps such as blanching, air drying, supercritical fluid processing with and without a processing aid, pressurization, de-pressurization, and packaging. The present disclosure further relates to methods of preparing edible food products that incorporate the processed fresh-cut vegetables, as well as the food products produced by these methods.

A method for obtaining pure drinking water from dewatered biological products is described. The process is carried out in a hermetic dewatering chamber isolated from the ambient atmosphere and in parallel with a process during which dried products are placed on drying trays. All the process parameters, such as temperature, humidity, and appropriate pressure inside the chamber, are controlled. The vapor generated during the product dewatering process, released from the products, is continuously removed from the dewatering chamber through the upper opening, exits through the outflow channel, and enters through the condenser. The process of obtaining clean drinking water is carried out outside the chamber and is conducted in several stages: vapor passes through disinfectant grids, vapor flows to a condenser cooled with ice water, and the vapor condenses on densely arranged lamellas. The condensate is then pumped to a discharge tub.

Provided is a process for freezing kinds of fresh coconut fruits including the following steps: i) selecting coconut fruits; ii) cleaning the coconut fruits; iii) drying the surface of the husked coconut fruits; iv) freezing the husked coconut fruits; and v) packing the husked coconut fruits, wherein step iv) is performed according to seven phases until the temperature of the husked coconut fruits of −18° C. is obtained.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for drying food products, for example fruit or eggs, comprising; —a tunnel section as dryer compartment (10) with supply unit and discharge unit for dryer gas, with the dryer gas being blown on the products substantially from above, and —a roller conveyor (1) with at least one row of supply rollers (3) for thereon conveying wet products in a conveying direction T to, through, and away from the dryer compartment (10), wherein the dryer compartment (10) comprises for the row a corresponding at least one ceiling element (14) with a curvature in line with that of the product, while in the ceiling element (14) at least one slit (15) is provided, directed substantially transversely to the conveying direction T, for blowing in the dryer gas.

The present invention relates to a method for three-dimensional microwave air-jet drying of persimmon slices, comprising steps of grading and cleaning, slicing, microwave heating, steam de-astringency, hot-air reverse primary drying, negative-pressure intermittent secondary drying, cooling and packaging. In the present invention, high-temperature (60-70° C.) high-pressure annularly sprayed citric acid and 40% alcohol vapor (rotating at 360°) are adopted to remove astringency of persimmons, wherein high temperature causes more intense Brownian motion of liquid molecules; high pressure improves permeation and diffusion speed of de-astringency liquid in the persimmon slices; citric acid plays a membrane breaking role on persimmon cell membranes; and 40% alcohol vapor is allowed to rapidly diffuse into cells, so that tannin is polymerized into insoluble gel from a soluble state, thereby achieving a uniform and rapid de-astringency effect.

A method is provided for improving drying efficiency for producing a dried edible plant composition while keeping a characteristic and fresh flavor and color tone inherently possessed by a food product using an edible plant without requiring special equipment or conditions, and a dried edible plant composition having improved quality obtained by this method. A method is provided for producing a dried edible plant composition that contains a non-edible part of an edible plant, in a dried state, in an amount of 3% by mass or more and 70% by mass or less based on the total mass of an edible part and the non-edible part. The method includes crushing and mixing the edible part and the non-edible part, and drying until a moisture content reaches 20% by mass or less by forced-air drying at a temperature of 20° C. or more and 80° C. or less.