Drying is the oldest method of food preservation practised 6y man. Today the dehydration section of the food industry is large and extends to all countries throughout the world. Facilities range in size from simple sun driers to very large capacity, sophisticated drying installations. A very wide range of dehydrated foods is available including vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, cereal and milk products. Dehydrated soup and sauce mixes and complete meals made up of dried ingredients are also available. A great deal of research has been carried out to improve the quality and convenience of dehydrated foods. Many modem dried foods may be reconstituted quickly to yield products with good flavour and texture. Thus, they make an important contribution to the convenience food market. This book is made up of four parts. Part 1 covers the historical background and general principles of food dehydration by means of heated air, by contact with a heated surface, by the application of radiant, microwave or dielectric energy and by freeze drying. In Part 2 information on drying phenomena, methods and equipment is presented in dictionary form. A guide to the procedures and conditions used for drying specific foods is given in Part 3. An extensive list of references on aspects of food dehydration makes up Part 4. It is hoped that this work will be of interest to staff and students involved in undergraduate and postgraduate courses in food science, technology and engineering, and to researchers in the field of food dehydration. It should also be a quick and easy source of information for persons working in this section of the food industry.