Dehydration
Dehydration of fruit and vegetables is one of the oldest forms of food preservation techniques known to man and consists primarily of establishments engaged in sun drying or artificially dehydrating fruits and vegetables. Although food preservation is the primary reason for dehydration, dehydration of fruits and vegetables also lowers the cost of packaging, storing, and transportation by reducing both the weight and volume of the final product. Given the improvement in the quality of dehydrated foods, along with the increased focus on instant and convenience foods, the potential of dehydrated fruits and vegetables is greater than ever.