A new low-temperature food drying system with controlled airflow and temperature is presented. Low-temperature drying allows foods such as vegetables to be dried without losing the original color and texture. Existing low-temperature systems are slow, and it is difficult to obtain uniform product quality. The system proposed in this paper consists of an airflow control system to improve drying speed, and temperature control to ensure minimal damage to the food during the drying process in comparison with sun drying. Through experimental evaluation of the system, it is demonstrated that dried vegetables produced by this method retain their fresh color and high vitamin content. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.