Water-water and water-macromolecule interactions in food dehydration and the effects of the pore structures of food on the energetics of the interactions

► Molecular dynamics modeling and simulations are employed to study porous food systems. ► Water molecules adjacent to food macromolecules are strongly bound. ► Dehydration reduces pore sizes and the number of pore openings. ► Reduced pore sizes increase the water-macromolecule interactions. ► Food processing is affected by the physicochemical nature of food molecules.