WHAT'S NEW IN FOOD TECHNOLOGY?

Drying of food for the purpose of preservation is by no means a modern idea. Although its origins are not clear it is known that for many thousands of years man has used sun‐dried fruits and vegetables to sustain him in off‐season periods. Sun‐dried dates, figs and apricots were used by the aboriginal inhabitants of the Mediterranean Basin and the Near East. A dried product prepared from potato was used by the inhabitants of the Andean Highlands up to three thousand years ago. Dried venison or buffalo meat, known as pemmican, was prepared by the American Indians before the arrival of Columbus. Drying of vegetables by artificial means was first reported in Britain in the Eighteenth century. Quantities of dried vegetables were used by the British troops in the Crimean War, by Union troops in the American Civil War and in many other early campaigns and expeditions. Dehydration of fruit by artificial means began towards the end of the nineteenth century in America.