- Processing Food -

Dehydration

Dehydration or the drying of foods is a method of preservation. With the exceptions of vitamin C and provitamin A, the nutrient losses that occur in drying are not large.

Further losses can occur depending on how the dried food is further processed. If the food is eaten in the dried form, such as dried apricots, then the food is a concentrated source of many nutrients, including dietary fibre (see specific foods in the Food Charts).

If the food is left in water to rehydrate, or is boiled, then there will be the additional normal cooking losses.