Improvement of drying efficiency and physicochemical quality of kiwifruit slices using infrared-assisted tilted tray air impingement drying

A novel combined drying technology, namely infrared-assisted tilted tray air impingement drying (IR-TTAID), was developed in this study. Drying time, energy consumption, and quality of kiwifruit slices were evaluated. Compared with TTAID, IR-TTAID reduced the drying time by 35.71%–58.33% and the energy consumption by 5.96%–27.92%, as well as obtained better quality in terms of color, shrinkage, and vitamin C content. The Page, Weibull, and Dincer models could precisely describe the drying kinetics of kiwifruit slices, of which the Page model theoretically revealed the higher drying capacity of IR-TTAID due to the minor internal resistance to water transfer. Scanning electron microscope observed more porous structures in IR-TTAID samples, which was conducive to the moisture migration during the drying process. IR-TTAID at 60 °C is recommended as the most suitable drying condition considering drying efficiency and quality. The finding provides important information for promoting the industrial production of dried kiwifruit slices.