Efficient microwave processing of oil–water emulsion cylinders with lateral and radial irradiations

The efficient thermal processing of cylindrical multiphase meat: a study on the selection of microwave heating strategy

The two-dimensional cylindrically shaped multiphase meat sample was modelled for microwave processing for two different interaction techniques i.e., lateral and radial during mono-mode operation of waveguide. The study was aimed to analyze the effect of volume fraction and sample size along with the duration of the procedure on the heat distribution corresponding to specified frequency and intensity of microwave. Procedure exhibiting higher heating rate and lower thermal non-homogeneity was set as the deciding factor for an optimal heating scheme. In order to achieve optimal processing at both 915 and 2450 MHz frequency, rotation of smaller samples and non-rotation of larger samples were recommended in most of the case studies; however, few exceptions were also observed and reported. In addition, reciprocity between volume fraction, intensity of the microwave radiation and procedure duration was also discussed. Overall, the present study would guide the studies on the microwave processing of two-dimensional multiphase meat.

Microwave processing: Effects and impacts on food components

As an efficient heating method, microwave processing has attracted attention both in academic research and industry. However, the mechanism of dielectric heating is quite distinct from that of the traditional conduction heating, and is widely applied as polar molecules and charged ions interaction with the alternative electromagnetic fields, resulting in fast and volumetric heating through their friction losses. Such a heating pattern would cause a certain change in microwave treatment, which is an unarguable reality. In this review, we made a retrospect of the essential knowledge about dielectric properties and summarized the concept of microwave heating, and the impact of microwave application on the main components of foods and agricultural products, which are classified as carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, chromatic/flavor substances, and vitamins. Finally, we offered a way to resolve the drawbacks of relevant microwave treatment and outlined the directions for future research.