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Acorn pre-drying: implications for the food industry
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In industry, 74% of the energy consumed is used in the form of heat. The food sector is characterised by a high share of processes that rely on industrial heat [1]. However, 90% of this thermal energy currently comes from fossil fuels, and only 9% is supplied by renewable sources [2]. The adoption of solar thermal technologies in the food industry offers multiple benefits that support its viability as an energy alternative to overcome this caveat. Firstly, by relying on a renewable and stable source. Manufacturers can reduce production costs and limit their exposure to the volatility of fossil fuel prices, thereby ensuring greater long-term price stability and predictability [3]. These reductions in energy costs may also be reflected in lower prices for the end consumer. Solar-assisted dehydration enables a decrease in moisture content, thereby limiting microbial growth and food spoilage [3]. In this regard, Solar Heat for Industrial Processes (SHIP) may also address food security concerns as storage losses are estimated to reach up to 20%, posing a critical challenge to food security [4].
The installation of in-situ pre-dehydration systems near harvesting zones provides clear benefits for energy efficiency and product quality. The Iberian Peninsula, notably, benefits from very high solar radiation, with many clear-sky days and extended sunlight periods, making it particularly suitable for solar-based pre-dehydration systems. By lowering produce weight and moisture before transportation, these systems decrease fossil energy demand during both industrial drying and large-scale transport [5]. This approach reduces the final product cost, as demonstrated by an in-situ solar dryer used for acorns in Alentejo holm oak groves. The passive, indirect mobile dryer, fitted with hanging bags, reduces acorn moisture content by 15% after 72 hours of drying, delays fruit spoilage, and cuts large-scale industrial heat input [6,4]. Thermal energy data from a factory case at Landratech, an acorn food producer involved in the MEDACORNET project, indicate that 15% in-situ pre-dehydration cuts thermal energy use by 52% during both initial and final drying stages of acorn flour manufacture [3]. This combined method lowers fossil fuel use, reduces losses, improves energy efficiency, and supports sustainability in the food processing sector.
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Citação
Farrero, Bernardo; Ribeiro, Luís Frölén; Famiglietti, Antonio; Babo, Pedro (2025). Acorn pre-drying: implications for the food industry. In International FoodTec Conference – Shaping the Future of Sustainable Food Ecosystems
Editora
morecolab