Review of advanced drying techniques: a path to lower greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture
Mohammad Kaveh, Yousef Abbaspour-Gilandeh, Mohammad Nadimi, Feizollah Shahbazi, Jitendra Paliwal
Abstract
Abstract The agricultural sector has one of the largest carbon footprints among all industries due to the extensive use of fossil fuels, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides. Over the past century, agricultural mechanization has remarkably increased greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, contributing to global warming and climate change. Among these gases, carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) is the most abundant. Drying is a crucial and widely used method for preserving agricultural products, with broad applications in the food industry. Recent advancements in drying technology offer promising alternatives that enhance product quality, reduce energy use, and mitigate GHG emissions, thus promoting environmental sustainability. This review explores some of the most promising drying techniques that will shape the future of agricultural processes. Efficient and innovative drying of agri-food products can be achieved by hybridizing conventional techniques like hot-air, microwave, infrared, fluid bed, continuum, vacuum, and refractance window drying with pre-treatments such as ultrasound (US), pulsed electric fields (PEF), blanching, and cold plasma (CP). The combined use of these modalities can decrease GHG emissions while producing high-quality, nutritionally rich products. Our synthesis of published information also proposes research and development strategies to mitigate GHGs during the drying process.