A recent visit to a dried fruit processing plant producing both soft-dried and freeze-dried tropical fruit for export markets.
Four key stages observed:
1. Raw fruit reception and preparation
– Fresh fruit graded by ripeness, size, and defect.
– Washing, peeling, and cutting to specification.
– Brix and moisture sampling at intake.
2. Dehydration / freeze-drying
– Soft-dried line: low-temperature dehydration to preserve colour and natural flavour.
– Freeze-dried line: sublimation under vacuum to retain structure and nutrients.
– Process parameters monitored to maintain consistent moisture targets.
3. Quality control and sorting
– Finished product screened for colour uniformity, moisture, and foreign material.
– Metal detection on the finished line.
– SO2 testing where no-sulphur specification applies.
4. Packing and certification
– Moisture-barrier packaging to protect shelf life.
– Batch coding and traceability to raw material lot.
– Certifications sighted: HACCP, ISO 22000.
The global dried fruit category is forecast to grow over 6.5% CAGR through 2028, supporting continued investment in Vietnamese processing capacity. (Source: Mordor Intelligence, 2024)
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