Osmo-dehydration of Plums and Berries - A Review

The influence of different osmotic dehydration methods on morphological and nutritional attributes of plums and berries has been reviewed and presented in this review. Several researches have been done for retention of bioactive compounds varying osmotic conventionally drying solution, brix, critical moisture content, drying temperature, drying time and methodology of osmotic dehydration process. Osmotic dehydration is a counter flow process which results in solids gain or impregnation, enhancing the textural and rheological properties of plum and related fruits. Osmotically dehydrated plums require less drying time than which results into improved overall quality. Reviews suggested that various osmotic agents with low molecular weight lead to higher water loss. Osmotic dehydration improves the overall quality of plums and berries as compared to the conventional drying methods.