Advances in radio frequency pasteurisation equipment for liquid foods: a review

Radiofrequency (RF) heating is an alternative emerging technology to conventional thermal methods; it has been employed for food pasteurisation, providing fast and volumetric heating. However, non-uniformity in the heating pattern has been reported. RF pasteurisation has been studied in different liquid foods. This review provides information about the RF heating mechanism and equipment used to pasteurise liquid food to control deteriorative or pathogen micro-organisms and the effect of the RF treatment on the quality of liquid foods. Developing an effective RF pasteurisation for liquid foods requires knowing the food dielectric properties, which determine the heating uniformity, temperature distribution and heating rate. The efficiency of continuous RF heating systems could depend on the fluid rate, resident time and absorbed power. RF heating can pasteurise liquid food, decrease microbial population and preserve the product's nutritional and physicochemical quality.     

Effects of Shape and Size of Agar Gels on Heating Uniformity During Pulsed Microwave Treatment

Model gel systems with different shape (sphere, cylinder, and slab) and size (180 and 290 g) were prepared with agar (5%) and sucrose (5%). Dielectric constant (ε′), loss factor (ε″), thermophysical properties, and temperature distribution of the model system were measured. Each agar model system was immersed and suspended in water, and then, heated in a microwave oven with intermittent heating until the core temperature reached 50 °C. The ε′ and ε″ of agar gels decreased when frequency increased. The density and thermal conductivity values of the agar gels were 1033 kg/m³ and 0.55 W/m °C, respectively. The temperature distribution of sphere, cylinder, and slab was different when similar power doses were applied. The slab reached 50 °C in less time (10 min) and showed a more uniform heating than spheres and cylinders in both sizes. Agar model systems of 180 g heated faster than those of 290 g. The coldest point was the center of the model systems in all studied cases. Shape and size are critical food factors that affect the heating uniformity during microwave heating processes.