_applied sciences_  
_Editorial_  
Drying Technologies in Food Processing  
[PERSON] 1,*\({}^{\copyright}\), [PERSON] 1\({}^{\copyright}\) and [PERSON] 2,3\({}^{\copyright}\)  
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Furthermore, fruit juice concentrates positively influenced the sugar profile of dehydrated strawberries, providing a more nutritionally valuable product. Osmotic dehydration partially removes water from food items; thus, usually, further processing, such as drying, is necessary [17; 18; 19]. Then, the dried materials can be conveniently stored at room temperature [20]. Moreover, some aspects were presented concerning the waste valorisation of strained yoghurt whey [21], which is a by-product with significant nutritional value, but its utilization in the industry poses challenges. It has low pH and high biochemical oxygen demand, which has led to the diversion of strained yoghurt whey to non-food applications, preventing the valuable nutrients it contains from being used for human consumption. One promising direction for utilizing strained yoghurt whey involves its application as an osmotic agent during the osmotic dehydration of fruits and vegetables. This approach can yield high-quality semi-dried or dried products, such as pumpkin snacks, or food formulations like muesli and dairy products. The osmotic behavior of strained yoghurt whey, combined with other ingredients like galacto-oligosaccharides, trehalose, and ascorbic acid, has shown promise in this regard. Based on the study's findings, it is evident that pasteurized strained yoghurt whey can serve as an alternative osmotic solute for partially dehydrating fruits without adversely affecting the sensory characteristics of the final product--in this case--specifically pumpkin. Further improvement of the osmotic dehydration process could be achieved through combination with sonication (US) as a pretreatment and supportive technique during the OD process, as described in the review article [8]. The authors described the mechanisms of both OD and US, their advantages and disadvantages and their effect on the properties of plant tissues. The current applications of ultrasound in the context of osmotic dehydration for fruits and vegetables are explored in the article. Additionally, a comparison was made between ultrasound-assisted osmotic dehydration and sonication treatment used before osmotic dehydration. Moreover, the synergistic effects of combining ultrasound with other innovative techniques or treatments in OD, such as using novel osmotic solutions, blanching, pulsed electric field, reduced pressure, and edible coatings, are thoroughly discussed in the review paper. Generally, freeze-drying (lyophilization) is an effective method of preserving various materials. This process involves removing water from a frozen substance through sublimation, where ice transits directly from a solid to a gaseous state without passing through the liquid phase. Freeze drying retains the original structure, flavor, and nutritional value of the material, making it a preferred technique for creating high-quality, shelf-stable products [21; 22]. Furthermore, when compared to other drying methods, freeze-dried products can be reconstituted more efficiently to their original state by simply adding water [7].