Name: Amin M. Lakim, Jr.

Section: B-1L

Date Submitted: May 27, 2021

Assignment # 4: Advances in Thermal Processing (Infrared Heating in Food Processing)

Processing is one of the most basic requirements for food goods in order to extend
their traditional shelf life. Food processing and preservation technologies must maintain the
freshness of the product while also improving shelf life, safety, and nutrition. To inactivate
microorganisms and increase quality and stability, processing technologies use a range of
approaches. Energy conservation is critical to a unit's profitability and performance.
Conduction, convection, and radiation are the three mechanisms for transferring heat.
Although infrared radiation, or simply infrared, is one of the oldest methods for heating food,
its potential has long been overlooked. Lower heating time, higher heat transfer coefficients,
reduced quality losses, uniform heating, versatile, simple and small equipment, and energy
savings under equivalent conditions are all advantages of infrared heating over conventional
heating (Yadav et al. 2020).

Infrared radiation was discovered in 1800 by an English Astronomer called William

Herschel. While Herschel was measuring the temperature of Sunlight that was split into a
spectrum, he found that higher temperatures were felt beyond the visible red region of the
spectrum, which he measured using a thermometer. So he confirmed that some invisible
radiation existed beyond the red region of the spectrum that was responsible for this heat and
he named it initially as “Calorific Rays.” Calorific means “Heat generating.” These were
called infrared (infra means below) rays in the late 19th century. Even though the wavelength
of infrared radiation is higher than the visible red light, the frequency is lower than red, hence
the name infrared (Gani, G et al. n.d.)

IR heating has mainly been used in electronics and related sectors in recent years,
with little practical application in the food processing industry. However, significant research
efforts in the field of IR food heating have been conducted in recent years. The current
assessment is in line with emerging areas of infrared heating and serves as a foundation for its
widespread use in food processing in the near future. IR radiation, like microwave,
radiofrequency (RF), and induction, transmits thermal energy in the form of electromagnetic
(EM) waves and comprises the part of the EM spectrum that is between visible light and
microwaves (see Figure 1) (Krishnamurthy, K et al. 2007).

Infrared Radiation's Fundamental Rules

The quantity of the IR radiation that is occurrence on any surface has a spectral
dependence because energy emitted by an emitter is composed of multiple wavelengths, the
portion of radiation in each band is dependent on the temperature and emissivity of the
emitter. The temperature of the IR heating components determines the wavelength at which
the maximum radiation occurs. This relationship is described by the basic laws for blackbody
radiation such as Planck’s law, Wien’s displacement law, and Stefan–Boltzman’s law, as
summarized in Table 1 (Krishnamurthy, K et al. 2007).
IR Radiation Interaction with Food Components

For the design of an infrared heating system and the optimization of a thermal process
of food components, the effect of IR radiation on optical and physical properties of food
materials is critical. When radiant electromagnetic energy strikes a food surface, it can cause
atoms and molecules to change their electronic, vibrational, and rotational states. Food is
absorbed, reflected, or scattered as it is subjected to infrared light (a blackbody does not
reflect or scatter), as shown in Figure 2. Food components have varied absorption strengths at
different wavelengths. The types of processes for energy absorption dictated by the
wavelength range of the incident radiative radiation can be classified as (1) changes in the
electronic state corresponding to the wavelength range 0.2 to 0.7 µm, (2) changes in the
electronic state corresponding to the wavelength range 0.2 to 0.7 µm, and (3) changes in the
electronic state corresponding to the wavelength range 0.2 to 0.7 µm. (ultraviolet and visible
rays), (2) changes in the vibrational state corresponding to wavelengths between 2.5 and 1000
µm (FIR) and (3) changes in the rotational state corresponding to wavelengths more than
1000 µm (microwaves). The most efficient way for food items to absorb FIR energy is
through changes in their molecular vibrational state. In general, the most efficient way for
food items to absorb FIR energy is through changes in molecule vibrational state, which can
contribute to radiative heating. Data on the absorption of infrared radiation by the main
dietary elements can be considered approximate values due to a lack of knowledge. Figure 3
depicts the main absorption ranges of several food components (Krishnamurthy, K et al.
2007).
 Thermal motions of molecules are caused by electromagnetic radiation, although
conversion efficiency is largely reliant on the frequency (energy) of the radiation. In
radiation-absorbing molecules, shorter wavelengths than infrared generate electron chemical
modifications such as chemical bonding, electronic excitation, and dissipation of absorbed
energy in the form of reduced heat. At high wavelengths in infrared radiation, the efficiency
of converting absorbed energy into heat is very high, therefore the electromagnetic radiation
produced by infrared radiation deepens the food by a few millimeters. Organic matter absorbs
infrared light at different frequencies that correlate to internal molecular movement between
energy levels. The rotating movement and the vibrational (stretching) movement of interior
atomic bonds are presented as a transition within the infrared energy spectrum The rotational
frequencies range from 1011 to 1013 Hz with a wavelength of 30 µm-1mm. The energy
transfer during the separation of liquids is very small, and therefore, infrared absorption is
continuous. Infrared absorption bands associated with food heating are shown in Table 2
(Yadav et al. 2020).

Table 2. Infrared absorption band characteristics of chemical groups relevant to heating of

food.

Food Applications of Infrared Heating in Food Processing

The application of infrared radiation to food processing has increased momentum due
to its essential advantages over the conventional heating systems. Infrared heating has been
applied in different food processing such as drying, baking, roasting, blanching,
pasteurization, and sterilization of food products (Krishnamurthy, K et al. 2007).

Drying and Dehydration

Infrared heating has a critical role in drying technologies, and there has been a lot of
study done in this field. The majority of dried vegetable goods are dried using a hot-air dryer
in the traditional way. However, this is not the case because of the low rehydration rate of
dried veggies, this method is ineffective when they are utilized as ingredients in fast foods,
fruits and veggies. The freeze-drying method is a viable alternative. It is, however, relatively
costly. (Krishnamurthy, K et al. 2007).

Enzyme Activation

Infrared heating can be effectively use for the inactivation of enzymes.

Lipooxygenase, an enzyme responsible for deterioration in soybeans, was inactivated 95.5%
within 60 s of IR treatment. At a bulk temperature of 30 to 40 degrees Celsius, infrared
radiation influenced certain enzyme processes (including lipases and amylases). Lipase
activity was reduced by 60% after 6 minutes of FIR radiation, and by 70% after 6 minutes of
thermal conduction (Krishnamurthy, K et al. 2007).

Pathogen Inactivation

In both liquid and solid foods, IR heating can be used to kill bacteria, spores, yeast,
and mold. Efficacy of microbial inactivation by infrared heating depends on the following
parameters: infrared power level, temperature of food sample, peak wavelength, and
bandwidth of infrared heating source, sample depth, types of microorganisms, moisture
content, physiological phase of M/Os (exponential or stationary phase), and types of food
materials (Krishnamurthy, K et al. 2007).

IR Heating Sources

Electric and gas-fired heaters are two common types of infrared radiators used for
process heating. The temperature ranges for these two types of IR heaters are 343 to 1100 C
for gas and electric IR, and 1100 to 2200 C for electric IR solely. To avoid charring, IR
temperatures are commonly utilized in the range of 650 to 1200 C. Gas heaters have a larger
initial investment but a lower running cost than electric infrared systems. Electrical infrared
heaters are popular due to their ease of installation, ability to create rapid heating rates, and
capacity to generate a cleaner type of heat. Electric infrared emitters also provide you the
option of creating the wavelength you want for a certain application. In general, Electric IR
heaters have an operating efficiency of 40 % to 70 %, whereas gas-fired IR heaters have an
operating efficiency of 30 % to 50 %. The spectral region suitable for industrial process
heating ranges from 1.17 to 5.4 µm, which corresponds to 260 to 2200 ◦C (Krishnamurthy, K
et al. 2007).

Infrared Emitters

Infrared radiation is emitted by any substance that is above absolute zero in

temperature. Infrared radiations are emitted by everything from the sun to a little fire, no
matter how small. Infrared emitters (figure 6) can be categorized into three types based on
their wavelengths: short wave, long wave, and medium wave emitters, depending on the
voltage applied to them. Short wave emitters have restricted applications due to their high
emissive power and temperature, which might cause overheating issues during lengthy food
processing. Medium wave emitters have a wavelength range of 1.4 to 3.0 m and can be used
for food drying and curing. Long wave emitters are ideal for low-temperature processing
procedures that require both convection and infrared heating. The range of wavelengths
emitted by the heating source influences the heat transfer rate, thermal efficiency, and effect
of radiation on heated materials (Yadav et al. 2020).

The electrical or gaseous type of emitter is also used to classify IR emitters (Figure 4).
The emitters produce infrared radiation with a temperature range of 343–1100 degrees
Celsius for gas heaters and 1100–2200 degrees Celsius for electric heaters. The normal
infrared temperature produced to prevent items from burning is between 650 and 1200 0 C.
Although gas heaters are expensive, their operational costs are minimal when compared to
systems that emit electrically infrared radiation (electric heaters). Because of their ease of
control, fast heating rate, and clean energy, infrared electric heaters are more widely used
than gaseous heaters. Infrared emitters are more adaptable when it comes to producing the
wavelength needed for a certain application(Yadav et al. 2020).

Electrical infrared emitters consist of a metal filament placed inside a sealed container
and filled with inert gas or empty. Infrared radiation is produced by heating the filament to a
particular temperature using an electric heater by passing an electric current through a high-
resistance wire such as nichrome wire, iron-chromium wire and tungsten filament. When the
metal wire is heated and reaches the glow temperature and its temperature rises to 2200 K,
this will lead to the emission of infrared radiation type NIR wavelength ranging between 0.7
and 1.4 µm. The types of electric IR emitters (Figure 5) include reflector type emitters,
incandescent lamps, quartz tubes and resistance elements such as metallic tubes, ceramic
tubes, and non-metallic rods(Yadav et al. 2020) .
Selective heating by infrared radiation

The majority of infrared heaters are made up of lamps that emit a spectrum with a
single peak wavelength that corresponds to a fixed surface temperature. For process
improvement, the type of infrared emitter and precise wavelength control should be
addressed. In practice, the IR source emits a broad spectrum of radiation. As a result, cutting
off the entire spectral distribution to acquire a specified bandwidth is difficult
(Krishnamurthy, K et al. 2007).

Quality and sensory changes by IR heating

For commercial success, it is critical and helpful to research the quality and sensory
changes that occur during IR heat treatment. The quality and sensory alterations of food
components under IR heating have been researched by a number of researchers. In
comparison to intermittent infrared heating, using infrared radiation in a stepwise manner by
gradually raising the power and cooling between power levels resulted in less color loss
(Krishnamurthy, K et al. 2007).

IR heat transfer modeling

Modeling of infrared heat transfer inside food has been a research-intensive area
because of the complexity of optical characteristics, radiative energy extinction, and
combined conductive and/or convective heat transfer phenomena. To describe the
phenomenon of heat transport inside food systems under FIR radiation, the finite element
approach was used to investigate diffusion characteristics in relation to radiation intensity and
slab thickness (Krishnamurthy, K et al. 2007).

Advantages of Infrared Heating

Infrared technology is very energy-efficient, water-saving, and ecologically friendly,

with features such as heating uniformity, high heat transfer rate, quick heating, reduced
energy consumption, and better product quality. Infrared radiation improves the quality of the
treated product while also increasing the food's safety. It reduces chemical and water
consumption while also increasing manufacturing. For disinfection, infrared (IR) heating has
been employed. It is a non-contact, chemical-free approach. Other features include low
energy costs, air is transparent to infrared, and the size of infrared equipment is small as well
as controlling factors in it with high accuracy (Yadav et al. 2020).
Disadvantages of Infrared Heating

Despite its many benefits, infrared has some drawbacks. Some people must be
cautious while utilizing infrared radiation since it produces a lot of heat and can cause burns,
the depth of penetration of food is modest, and long-term exposure causes tissue rupture and
is not affected by coating reflecting qualities. Because IR has a limited penetrating capacity,
the size of food products should be carefully evaluated. It is not affected by the reflectivity of
coatings(Yadav et al. 2020).

CONCLUSION

General, accurate process control and a well-designed equipment and processing

system can accomplish efficient IR operations with environmental and economic benefits
over conventional thermal processes. The industrialization of IR technologies for food and
agricultural processing is projected to be driven by the demand for enhanced product quality,
safety, and energy and processing efficiency. Infrared heating is particularly appealing for
surface heating applications. Combining infrared heating with microwave and other common
conductive and convective heating modes has enormous potential for achieving energy
efficiency and practical usability in the food processing industry. The use of infrared heating
in the food processing industry is projected to grow in the near future, particularly in the
areas of drying and minimal processing.

REFERENCES

Gani, Gousia, Tahiya Qadri, and Qudsiya Ayaz. n.d. “Infrared Heating of Foods-A Review,”
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Krishnamurthy, K., Khurana, H. K., Jun, S., Irudayaraj, J., Demirci, A., (2017). Infrared
Heating in Food Processing. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food
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Yadav, Garima, Neeraj Gupta, Monika Sood, Nadira Anjum, and Ankita Chib. 2020.
“Infrared Heating and Its Application in Food Processing.” The Pharma Innovation
Journal 9 (2): 142–
51https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342493659_Infrared_heating_and_its
_application_in_food_processing