Banana Drying Method Selection: A Hybrid Multi‐Criteria Decision Making Approach Integrating SWARA Weighting With MOORA, MARCOS, and PSI Ranking Methods

Banana, a tropical fruit with high initial moisture content and high oxidation susceptibility, requires careful drying method selection to preserve quality attributes. This study applied a hybrid multicriteria decision making (MCDM) framework integrating Step‐wise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (SWARA) for criteria weighting with three ranking methods: Multi‐Objective Optimization on the basis of Ratio Analysis (MOORA), Measurement of Alternatives and Ranking according to Compromise Solution (MARCOS), and Preference Selection Index (PSI). Twelve evaluation criteria covering quality, operational, and economic dimensions were evaluated across eight drying alternatives. SWARA weighting identified aroma preservation (10.69%) and nutritional retention (10.69%) as paramount criteria. All three MCDM methods produced identical rankings (Spearman correlation = 1.0, Kendall tau = 1.0), establishing freeze drying as the optimal method (100.00%), followed by vacuum drying (83.81%), heat pump drying (72.19%), dehydrator drying (61.52%), hot air drying (58.55%), microwave drying (53.81%), solar cabinet drying (24.82%), and sun drying (0.00%). Sensitivity analysis across 72 perturbation scenarios revealed zero rank changes, confirming ranking stability. The perfect intermethod consensus strengthens confidence in the recommended technology hierarchy for banana drying applications.