Synergistic Drying Solutions: Combining Vacuum and Infrared Techniques for Optimal Persimmon Preservation

/s for IRD at 70°C (IRD-70), with both individual IRD-70 and a combination of IRD + VD demonstrating improved moisture transfer performance. The IRD + VD combination resulted in the best microstructure preservation and showed lower shrinkage compared to other drying strategies. Moreover, this combination best preserved the persimmon color with the lowest total color change (ΔE = 5.591), whereas VD showed the highest (ΔE = 35.875). Activation energy was lowest in IRD + VD (13.98 kJ/mol), followed by VD + IRD (18.61 kJ/mol), with higher values in VD (34.08 kJ/mol) and IRD (22.75 kJ/mol). Phytochemical analysis showed IRD (total phenolic content [TPC] = 35.79 mgGAE/g, total flavonoid content [TFC] = 54.83 mgQE/g) and IRD + VD (TPC = 17.02 mgGAE/g, TFC = 58.52 mgQE/g) retaining the highest bioactive compounds. This study contributes to optimizing drying techniques for persimmon, enhancing energy efficiency, preserving nutritional quality, and supporting sustainable food processing, making it relevant for the food industry, food engineering, and food science fields.