Dielectric Heating: Recent Trends and Applications in Food Processing

Abstract

In food processing industries, dielectric heating has been widely using for drying, sterilization, pasteurization, cooking, blanching, baking, cooling, thawing, insect and microbial control, and assisted technology for the extraction of valuable compounds from cell-matrix. Recent advances in dielectric heating include microwave freeze drying, microwave vacuum drying, microwave hot air assisted drying, and microwave-radio frequency plasma processing has emerged as novel processing techniques. Compared to conventional heating methods, dielectric heating has the capacity to inactivate harmful microorganisms and could destroy the active enzymes. It moderately affects the texture, color, and other bioactive components in foods. Numerous efforts have been made toward the nonuniformity of heating. Recent trends include the application of mathematical modeling, plasma processing, freeze-drying, and other drying techniques coupled with dielectric heating. This chapter summarizes recent trends and developments in the application of dielectric heating in food processing.