Evaluating the Potential of Refractance WindowTM Drying Technology in Food Preservation: A Review of Current Research and Future Directions
Abstract
One significant issue facing developing nations is the preservation of agricultural products, especially during harvesting. Dehydration remains critical in food preservation as dried products are cost-effective, lightweight, and have an extended storage duration. However, traditional drying techniques are either time-consuming, energy-intensive, or degrading the product. In the quest for efficient and sustainable technologies to preserve and enhance the quality of agricultural produce, Refractance Window Drying (RWD) has emerged as a promising technique with vast potential that remains largely unexplored. This review introduces this novel technique, including its principles, unique advantages, efficacy compared to traditional drying methods, and potential application in dehydrating agro-products. By discussing the current challenges and future research directions of this innovative drying technique, this review contributes to the growing knowledge of advanced dehydration technologies and empowers the audience with practical insights for their adoption in the food industry.
References
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Aghbashlo, M., Hosseinpour, S., Mujumdar, A. S., (2015). Application of Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) in Drying Technology: A Comprehensive Review. Drying Technology 33, 1397–1462. https://doi.org/10.1080/07373937.2015.1036288.
Akinola, A. A., Ezeorah, S. N., (2016). Dehydration studies of root tubers using a refractance window dryer, in: 20th International Drying Symposium, Nagaragawa Convention Centre, Gifu, Japan. pp. 07–10.
Akinola, A. A., Ezeorah, S. N., (2017), Evaluation of the Dehydration Kinetics of Cassava (Manihot Esculenta) Slices Dried Using a Refractance WindowTM Dryer. Journal of Engineering Research, 22, 1–10.
Akinola, A. A., Ezeorah, S. N., (2018). Dehydration Kinetics of Cassava, Yam and Potato Slices Using a Refractance WindowTM Dryer. FUOYEJET, 3. https://doi.org/10.46792/fuoyejet.v3i2.258
Akinola, A. A., Ezeorah, S. N., (2019), Experimental Investigation Of The Dehydration Kinetics Of White Yam (Dioscorea Rotundata) Using A Refractance Windowtm Dryer. NSChE Journal 34, 1–1.
Amit, S. K., Uddin, M. M., Rahman, R., Islam, S. M. R., Khan, M. S., (2017a), A review on mechanisms and commercial aspects of food preservation and processing. Agric & Food Secur 6, 51. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40066-017-0130-8
Baeghbali, V., Niakosari, M., Kiani, M., (2010b), Design, manufacture and investigating functionality of a new batch Refractance Window system, in: Proceedings of 5th International Conference on Innovations in Food and Bioprocess Technology. pp. 1–7.
Baeghbali, V., Niakousari, M., Farahnaky, A., (2016b). Refractance Window drying of pomegranate juice: Quality retention and energy efficiency. LWT - Food Science and Technology 66, 34–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2015.10.017
Castoldi, M., Zotarelli, M. F., Durigon, A., Carciofi, B. A. M., Laurindo, J. B., (2015b), Production of Tomato Powder by Refractance Window Drying. Drying Technology 33, 1463–1473. https://doi.org/10.1080/07373937.2014.989327
Da Costa, R. D. S., Da Cruz Rodrigues, A. M., Borges Laurindo, J., Da Silva, L. H. M., (2019), Development of dehydrated products from peach palm–tucupi blends with edible film characteristics using refractive window. J Food Sci Technol 56, 560–570. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-018-3454-x
Dadhaneeya, H., Nayak, P. K., Saikia, D., Kondareddy, R., Ray, S., & krishnan Kesavan, R. (2023). The impact of refractance window drying on the physicochemical properties and bioactive compounds of malbhog banana slice and pulp. Applied Food Research, 3(1), 100279. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.afres.2023.100279
Hernández-Santos, B., Martínez-Sánchez, C. E., Torruco-Uco, J. G., Rodríguez-Miranda, J., Ruiz-López, I. I., Vajando-Anaya, E. S., Carmona-García, R., Herman-Lara, E., (2016), Evaluation of physical and chemical properties of carrots dried by Refractance Window drying. Drying Technology 34, 1414–1422. https://doi.org/10.1080/07373937.2015.1118705
Karate, M. P., Patil, B. N., Gupta, S. V., (2022), Refractive Window Drying: Review. SSRN Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4126084
Kumar, Y., Tiwari, S., & Belorkar, S. A. (2015). Drying: An excellent method for food preservation. International journal of engineering studies and technical approach, 1(8), 1-17.
Losses, F. G. F., & Waste—Extent, F. (2011). Causes and Prevention. FAO: Rome, Italy, 1-37.
Mahanti, N. K., Chakraborty, S. K., Sudhakar, A., Verma, D. K., Shankar, S., Thakur, M., Singh, S., Tripathy, S., Gupta, A. K., Srivastav, P. P., (2021b), Refractance WindowTM- Drying vs. other drying methods and effect of different process parameters on quality of foods: A comprehensive review of trends and technological developments. Future Foods 3, 100024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fufo.2021.100024
Mandale, N. M., Attkan, A. K., Kumar, S., Kumar, N., (2023), Drying kinetics and quality assessment of refractance window dried beetroot. J Food Process Engineering 46, e14332. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfpe.14332
Mercer, D. G. (2014). An introduction to the dehydration and drying of fruits and vegetables. Donald G. Mercer.
Namayengo, F. M., Raymonds, M., Alex, A., Muyonga, J. H., (2021), Techno Economic Analysis of Refractance Window Drying of Fruits: A Case of Small-Medium Scale Agro Processors in Uganda. International Journal Of Scientific Advances 2. https://doi.org/10.51542/ijscia.v2i5.23
Nemzer, B., Vargas, L., Xia, X., Sintara, M., Feng, H., (2018), Phytochemical and physical properties of blueberries, tart cherries, strawberries, and cranberries as affected by different drying methods. Food Chemistry 262, 242–250. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2018.04.047
Nindo, C. I., Powers, J. R., Tang, J., (2007), Influence of Refractance Window evaporation on quality of juices from small fruits. LWT-Food Science and Technology 40, 1000–1007.
Nindo, C. I., & Tang, J. (2007). Refractance window dehydration technology: a novel contact drying method. Drying technology, 25(1), 37-48. https://doi.org/10.1080/07373930601152673
Nindo, C. I., Tang, J., Cakir, E., & Powers, J. R. (2006). Potential of Refractance Window technology for value added processing of fruits and vegetables in developing countries. In 2006 ASAE Annual Meeting (p. 1). American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers.
Ochoa-Martínez, C. I., Quintero, P. T., Ayala, A. A., Ortiz, M. J., (2012) Drying characteristics of mango slices using the Refractance WindowTM technique. Journal of Food Engineering 109, 69–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2011.09.032
Ocoró-Zamora, M. U., & Ayala-Aponte, A. A. (2013). Influence Of Thickness On The Drying Of Papaya Puree (Carica Papaya L.) Through Refractance Windowtm Technology. Dyna, 80, 147-154.
Padhi, S., Murakonda, S., Dwivedi, M., (2022), Investigation of drying characteristics and nutritional retention of unripe green banana flour by refractance window drying technology using statistical approach. Food Measure 16, 2375–2385. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11694-022-01349-7
Pavan, M.A., Schmidt, S. J., Feng, H., (2012), Water sorption behavior and thermal analysis of freeze-dried, Refractance Window-dried and hot-air dried açaí (Euterpe oleracea Martius) juice. LWT-Food Science and Technology 48, 75–81.
Puente, L., Vega-Gálvez, A., Ah-Hen, K. S., Rodríguez, A., Pasten, A., Poblete, J., Pardo-Orellana, C., Muñoz, M., (2020), Refractance Window drying of goldenberry (Physalis peruviana L.) pulp: A comparison of quality characteristics with respect to other drying techniques. LWT 131, 109772. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2020.109772
Puente-Díaz, L., Spolmann, O., Nocetti, D., Zura-Bravo, L., Lemus-Mondaca, R., (2020b), Effects of Infrared-Assisted Refractance WindowTM Drying on the Drying Kinetics, Microstructure, and Color of Physalis Fruit Purée. Foods 9, 343. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9030343
Raghavi, L. M., Moses, J.A., Anandharamakrishnan, C., (2018b), Refractance window drying of foods: A review. Journal of Food Engineering 222, 267–275. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2017.11.032
Rajoriya, D., Shewale, S.R., Bhavya, M.L., Hebbar, H.U., 2020. Far infrared assisted refractance window drying of apple slices: Comparative study on flavour, nutrient retention and drying characteristics. Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies 66, 102530. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifset.2020.102530
Santos, S. D. J. L., Canto, H. K. F., Da Silva, L. H. M., Rodrigues, A. M. D. C., (2020), Characterization and properties of purple yam (Dioscorea trifida) powder obtained by refractance window drying. Drying Technology 40, 1103–1113. https://doi.org/10.1080/07373937.2020.1847140
Santos, V. C. S., Souza, R. L. D., Figueiredo, R. T., & Alsina, O. L. S. D. (2022). A review on refractance window drying process of fruits and vegetables: its integration with renewable energies. Brazilian Journal of Food Technology, 25, e2021153.
Shende, D., Datta, A. K., (2020) Optimization study for refractance window drying process of Langra variety mango. J Food Sci Technol 57, 683–692. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-019-04101-0
Topuz, A., Feng, H., Kushad, M., (2009). The effect of drying method and storage on color characteristics of paprika. LWT - Food Science and Technology 42, 1667–1673. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2009.05.014
Vega-Mercado, H., Góngora-Nieto, M. M., & Barbosa-Cánovas, G. V. (2001). Advances in dehydration of foods. Journal of food engineering, 49(4), 271-289. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0260-8774(00)00224-7
Waghmare, R. (2021). Refractance window drying: A cohort review on quality characteristics. Trends in Food Science & Technology, 110, 652-662. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2021.02.030
Zalpouri, R., Kaur, P., Mahal, A., (2020). Influence of developed refractance based drying method on physical parameter of potato flakes 8, 2833–2838. https://doi.org/10.222 71/chemi.2020.v8.i3ao.9645
Zalpouri, R., Singh, M., Kaur, P., Mahal, A., Gaikwad, K., Singh, A., (2023), Drying Kinetics, Physicochemical and Thermal Analysis of Onion Puree Dried Using a Refractance Window Dryer. Processes 11, 700. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11030700
Zomorodi, S., Hedayat, A., 2023. Impact of Refractance Window drying method on physical properties and phenolic antioxidants of tomato powder in comparison with other methods (preprint). In Review. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-2961093/v1
Zotarelli, M. F., Carciofi, B. A. M., Laurindo, J. B., (2015), Effect of process variables on the drying rate of mango pulp by Refractance Window. Food Research International 69, 410–417. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2015.01.013
Acar, C., Dincer, I., Mujumdar, A., (2022), A comprehensive review of recent advances in renewable-based drying technologies for a sustainable future. Drying Technology 40, 1029–1050. https://doi.org/10.1080/07373937.2020.1848858
Aghbashlo, M., Hosseinpour, S., Mujumdar, A. S., (2015). Application of Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) in Drying Technology: A Comprehensive Review. Drying Technology 33, 1397–1462. https://doi.org/10.1080/07373937.2015.1036288.
Akinola, A. A., Ezeorah, S. N., (2016). Dehydration studies of root tubers using a refractance window dryer, in: 20th International Drying Symposium, Nagaragawa Convention Centre, Gifu, Japan. pp. 07–10.
Akinola, A. A., Ezeorah, S. N., (2017), Evaluation of the Dehydration Kinetics of Cassava (Manihot Esculenta) Slices Dried Using a Refractance WindowTM Dryer. Journal of Engineering Research, 22, 1–10.
Akinola, A. A., Ezeorah, S. N., (2018). Dehydration Kinetics of Cassava, Yam and Potato Slices Using a Refractance WindowTM Dryer. FUOYEJET, 3. https://doi.org/10.46792/fuoyejet.v3i2.258
Akinola, A. A., Ezeorah, S. N., (2019), Experimental Investigation Of The Dehydration Kinetics Of White Yam (Dioscorea Rotundata) Using A Refractance Windowtm Dryer. NSChE Journal 34, 1–1.
Amit, S. K., Uddin, M. M., Rahman, R., Islam, S. M. R., Khan, M. S., (2017a), A review on mechanisms and commercial aspects of food preservation and processing. Agric & Food Secur 6, 51. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40066-017-0130-8
Baeghbali, V., Niakosari, M., Kiani, M., (2010b), Design, manufacture and investigating functionality of a new batch Refractance Window system, in: Proceedings of 5th International Conference on Innovations in Food and Bioprocess Technology. pp. 1–7.
Baeghbali, V., Niakousari, M., Farahnaky, A., (2016b). Refractance Window drying of pomegranate juice: Quality retention and energy efficiency. LWT - Food Science and Technology 66, 34–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2015.10.017
Castoldi, M., Zotarelli, M. F., Durigon, A., Carciofi, B. A. M., Laurindo, J. B., (2015b), Production of Tomato Powder by Refractance Window Drying. Drying Technology 33, 1463–1473. https://doi.org/10.1080/07373937.2014.989327
Da Costa, R. D. S., Da Cruz Rodrigues, A. M., Borges Laurindo, J., Da Silva, L. H. M., (2019), Development of dehydrated products from peach palm–tucupi blends with edible film characteristics using refractive window. J Food Sci Technol 56, 560–570. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-018-3454-x
Dadhaneeya, H., Nayak, P. K., Saikia, D., Kondareddy, R., Ray, S., & krishnan Kesavan, R. (2023). The impact of refractance window drying on the physicochemical properties and bioactive compounds of malbhog banana slice and pulp. Applied Food Research, 3(1), 100279. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.afres.2023.100279
Hernández-Santos, B., Martínez-Sánchez, C. E., Torruco-Uco, J. G., Rodríguez-Miranda, J., Ruiz-López, I. I., Vajando-Anaya, E. S., Carmona-García, R., Herman-Lara, E., (2016), Evaluation of physical and chemical properties of carrots dried by Refractance Window drying. Drying Technology 34, 1414–1422. https://doi.org/10.1080/07373937.2015.1118705
Karate, M. P., Patil, B. N., Gupta, S. V., (2022), Refractive Window Drying: Review. SSRN Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4126084
Kumar, Y., Tiwari, S., & Belorkar, S. A. (2015). Drying: An excellent method for food preservation. International journal of engineering studies and technical approach, 1(8), 1-17.
Losses, F. G. F., & Waste—Extent, F. (2011). Causes and Prevention. FAO: Rome, Italy, 1-37.
Mahanti, N. K., Chakraborty, S. K., Sudhakar, A., Verma, D. K., Shankar, S., Thakur, M., Singh, S., Tripathy, S., Gupta, A. K., Srivastav, P. P., (2021b), Refractance WindowTM- Drying vs. other drying methods and effect of different process parameters on quality of foods: A comprehensive review of trends and technological developments. Future Foods 3, 100024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fufo.2021.100024
Mandale, N. M., Attkan, A. K., Kumar, S., Kumar, N., (2023), Drying kinetics and quality assessment of refractance window dried beetroot. J Food Process Engineering 46, e14332. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfpe.14332
Mercer, D. G. (2014). An introduction to the dehydration and drying of fruits and vegetables. Donald G. Mercer.
Namayengo, F. M., Raymonds, M., Alex, A., Muyonga, J. H., (2021), Techno Economic Analysis of Refractance Window Drying of Fruits: A Case of Small-Medium Scale Agro Processors in Uganda. International Journal Of Scientific Advances 2. https://doi.org/10.51542/ijscia.v2i5.23
Nemzer, B., Vargas, L., Xia, X., Sintara, M., Feng, H., (2018), Phytochemical and physical properties of blueberries, tart cherries, strawberries, and cranberries as affected by different drying methods. Food Chemistry 262, 242–250. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2018.04.047
Nindo, C. I., Powers, J. R., Tang, J., (2007), Influence of Refractance Window evaporation on quality of juices from small fruits. LWT-Food Science and Technology 40, 1000–1007.
Nindo, C. I., & Tang, J. (2007). Refractance window dehydration technology: a novel contact drying method. Drying technology, 25(1), 37-48. https://doi.org/10.1080/07373930601152673
Nindo, C. I., Tang, J., Cakir, E., & Powers, J. R. (2006). Potential of Refractance Window technology for value added processing of fruits and vegetables in developing countries. In 2006 ASAE Annual Meeting (p. 1). American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers.
Ochoa-Martínez, C. I., Quintero, P. T., Ayala, A. A., Ortiz, M. J., (2012) Drying characteristics of mango slices using the Refractance WindowTM technique. Journal of Food Engineering 109, 69–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2011.09.032
Ocoró-Zamora, M. U., & Ayala-Aponte, A. A. (2013). Influence Of Thickness On The Drying Of Papaya Puree (Carica Papaya L.) Through Refractance Windowtm Technology. Dyna, 80, 147-154.
Padhi, S., Murakonda, S., Dwivedi, M., (2022), Investigation of drying characteristics and nutritional retention of unripe green banana flour by refractance window drying technology using statistical approach. Food Measure 16, 2375–2385. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11694-022-01349-7
Pavan, M.A., Schmidt, S. J., Feng, H., (2012), Water sorption behavior and thermal analysis of freeze-dried, Refractance Window-dried and hot-air dried açaí (Euterpe oleracea Martius) juice. LWT-Food Science and Technology 48, 75–81.
Puente, L., Vega-Gálvez, A., Ah-Hen, K. S., Rodríguez, A., Pasten, A., Poblete, J., Pardo-Orellana, C., Muñoz, M., (2020), Refractance Window drying of goldenberry (Physalis peruviana L.) pulp: A comparison of quality characteristics with respect to other drying techniques. LWT 131, 109772. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2020.109772
Puente-Díaz, L., Spolmann, O., Nocetti, D., Zura-Bravo, L., Lemus-Mondaca, R., (2020b), Effects of Infrared-Assisted Refractance WindowTM Drying on the Drying Kinetics, Microstructure, and Color of Physalis Fruit Purée. Foods 9, 343. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9030343
Raghavi, L. M., Moses, J.A., Anandharamakrishnan, C., (2018b), Refractance window drying of foods: A review. Journal of Food Engineering 222, 267–275. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2017.11.032
Rajoriya, D., Shewale, S.R., Bhavya, M.L., Hebbar, H.U., 2020. Far infrared assisted refractance window drying of apple slices: Comparative study on flavour, nutrient retention and drying characteristics. Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies 66, 102530. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifset.2020.102530
Santos, S. D. J. L., Canto, H. K. F., Da Silva, L. H. M., Rodrigues, A. M. D. C., (2020), Characterization and properties of purple yam (Dioscorea trifida) powder obtained by refractance window drying. Drying Technology 40, 1103–1113. https://doi.org/10.1080/07373937.2020.1847140
Santos, V. C. S., Souza, R. L. D., Figueiredo, R. T., & Alsina, O. L. S. D. (2022). A review on refractance window drying process of fruits and vegetables: its integration with renewable energies. Brazilian Journal of Food Technology, 25, e2021153.
Shende, D., Datta, A. K., (2020) Optimization study for refractance window drying process of Langra variety mango. J Food Sci Technol 57, 683–692. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-019-04101-0
Topuz, A., Feng, H., Kushad, M., (2009). The effect of drying method and storage on color characteristics of paprika. LWT - Food Science and Technology 42, 1667–1673. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2009.05.014
Vega-Mercado, H., Góngora-Nieto, M. M., & Barbosa-Cánovas, G. V. (2001). Advances in dehydration of foods. Journal of food engineering, 49(4), 271-289. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0260-8774(00)00224-7
Waghmare, R. (2021). Refractance window drying: A cohort review on quality characteristics. Trends in Food Science & Technology, 110, 652-662. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2021.02.030
Zalpouri, R., Kaur, P., Mahal, A., (2020). Influence of developed refractance based drying method on physical parameter of potato flakes 8, 2833–2838. https://doi.org/10.222 71/chemi.2020.v8.i3ao.9645
Zalpouri, R., Singh, M., Kaur, P., Mahal, A., Gaikwad, K., Singh, A., (2023), Drying Kinetics, Physicochemical and Thermal Analysis of Onion Puree Dried Using a Refractance Window Dryer. Processes 11, 700. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11030700
Zomorodi, S., Hedayat, A., 2023. Impact of Refractance Window drying method on physical properties and phenolic antioxidants of tomato powder in comparison with other methods (preprint). In Review. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-2961093/v1
Zotarelli, M. F., Carciofi, B. A. M., Laurindo, J. B., (2015), Effect of process variables on the drying rate of mango pulp by Refractance Window. Food Research International 69, 410–417. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2015.01.013
Published
2025-03-12
How to Cite
engineering, J., & Akinola, A. (2025). Evaluating the Potential of Refractance WindowTM Drying Technology in Food Preservation: A Review of Current Research and Future Directions . Journal of Engineering Research, 29(4), 1-14. Retrieved from http://jer.unilag.edu.ng/article/view/2417
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