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From their very beginnings as a species on Earth, humans have been preoccupied with preserving food and have invented numerous methods that allow prolonged storage of foodstuffs of practically all types. These methods are widely based on the principle of decreasing the free water content of foods in order to inhibit the growth of microorganisms and the activity of endogenous enzymes. The choice of the process used to achieve this dehydration dependson the nature and end use of the product. These processes may be divided into three main categories: air-drying, vacuum drying and cold-temperature drying.