Exploring Novel Supercritical CO2 Drying Combined with High Power Ultrasounds: a Case on Peas and Apples

Abstract

The current global population stands at 8.1 billion people and is projected to reach 9 billion by 2037. The food sector will need to undergo significant transformations to ensure food security. In this context, drying plays an important role in enhancing global food security by facilitating the safe storage of agricultural products and food. In this study, we employed two innovative drying methods: supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) drying and its combination with high-power ultrasound (scCO2+HPU) to assess their performance in drying seeds and fruits such as peas and apples. Among drying methods, supercritical carbon dioxide is emerging as a promising technology in the food drying industry. So far, the use of scCO2 has yielded promising results in the drying of spices, meat, and vegetables, but further studies are needed. High-power ultrasound has shown substantial potential in enhancing water mass transfer and microbial inactivation when coupled with technology. The outcomes of our experimental implementation demonstrated a significantly greater reduction in weight, moisture content and a notably lower water activity level for scCO2+HPU compared to scCO2 alone. These findings validate the significant potential of this integrated technology, which warrants further exploration in diverse food matrices.