Microwave (and RF) Heating in Food

Processing Applications

Juming Tang, Ph.D.

Professor of Food Engineering

Department of Biological Systems Engineering

Washington State University, Pullman WA
 OUTLINE
1. Microwave and Radio Frequency (RF)
Heating Principles
2. Established Applications in Food
Processing
3. Development of Microwave Sterilization
Technology for Pre-packaged Foods
 SPECTRUM

Electromagnetic Spectrum The wavelength l = c/f with c = 3.108m/s

RF MW
l

f
13.56 MHz(+/- 0.05%)  915 MHz
 27.12 MHz (+/- 0.6%) 2450 MHz Domestic Ovens
 40.68 MHz (+/- 0.05%) 10 – 12 – 18 GHz (plasma)
Very restricted bands
Can be used for ISM
applications
 •Generation of microwave

•Magnetron
 •Waveguide

•Magnetron

•Microwave cavity (applicator)

•Domestic Microwave Oven (2450 MHz)

Microwave Cooking of Meat Patties (APV system)
RF Heating Systems

Food
Plate Electrodes in RF Heater
Industrial Applications of RF Technology
- typical up to 85 kW per module

Food Dryer
Source: Strayfield, UK
 Dielectric heating of foods
- Product temperature in electromagnetic field:
T
C p = 5.563 10 11 f E 2 ''
t
- Dielectric property: Loss factor
Dielectric constant

- Contributions of dipole rotation and ionic conduction:

 Multi-mode Systems

•Electric field pattern for a loaded microwave cavity at 2.4295 GHz.

•(Chan and Reader, 2000)
 Single - mode Systems

TM010 cavity resonator, 915 MHz (adopted from Regier and Schubert)
 How Does RF or Microwaves Heat Foods?
Alternating Electric field

Space charge polarization Orientation polarization

 Mechanism of Dielectric Heating

RF MW

Ref: Tang et al., 2002, Scientific Press, New York

 Penetration Depth (mm)

RF Microwaves

Ref: Wang et al.,2003. J. Food Eng. 57: 257-268.

2. Industrial Microwave (MW) and Radio
Frequency (RF) Technologies

-- Better quality
-- Reduced process times
-- New products?
MW COOKING DESSERTS

Cooking of desserts in pots

Microwave Tunnel 22 000 Pots / hour Power : 144 KW.

MW COOKING/PASTEURIZATION OF VEGS

Nutripack (a French Company) solution with valve Valvo-PackTM

The valve allows a thermal treatment and the cooling of the product in the packing without
counter-pressure.
The valve is adhesive and is installed on the upper part (heat sealing film, cover…) of a
packing (plastic, metal, paper, cardboard) that has been previously pierced.
Opening limit : 10 mbar  3 mbar
Closing limit : 5 mbar  2 bars
 •A similar concept developed by MicVac, Sweden

•http://www.micvac.com/
From their website:

MicVac develops, markets and sells two methods

for processing and packaging convenience food.
Both solutions (for pasteurised and unpasteurised
foods respectively) use a valve that offers several
benefits for both the producer and the consumer.

The MicVac method is based on the principle of

cooking and pasteurising food using microwaves
directly in the sealed consumer package. The film
cover on the package has a valve that opens
during cooking, releasing the overpressure in the
form of steam and oxygen. After cooking, the
valve closes and a natural vacuum is created in
the package – another of the product’s many
advantages.
MW COOKING/PASTEURIZATION

EXAMPLES OF PRODUCTS
 RF Finish Drying of Bakery Products
Wokingham, UK

50kW RF Post Baking Unit - Courtesy of Fox’s Biscuits, UK

 Moisture profile at exit of an industrial bakery
oven, and after RF drying for 5 mins

Before RF After RF At Packing

2.05
Moisture % BDW

1.85

1.65

1.45

1.25
Working Side Middle Non-working Side
 RF Post-Baking

Virtually Eliminates
Checking!
Sponge Products

• Reduces Mold Spores

• Increases Shelf Life
• Increases Production
 RF DRYING OF BAKERY
• Appetisers snack PRODUCTS
• Meringue
•Puff pastry
•Breakfast cereal
•Bread crouton
•Sponge product
•Pretzel
•Short bread
•Profiterole
 Manufacturers using RF
Heating and Drying
• Kraft (Nabisco) (USA)
• United Biscuits (UK)
• Kelloggs (Keebler) (USA)
• Fox’s Biscuits (UK)
• Weetabix (UK, Canada)
• Arnotts (Australia/ New
Zealand/ Indonesia
• National Biscuits (S.Africa)
• Safeway (USA)
• Ferrero (Italy)
• Dancake (Portugal)
• Ulker (Turkey)
• Pepperidge Farms (USA)
• M&M Mars (USA)
Approximately 500 RF food processing systems
sold over 37 years
• Parle (India)
• Britannia (India)
• Crown (Korea)
• Horizon Biscuits (UK)
• United Biscuits/Danone (Lu –
France, Bagley Argentina)
• Tong Yang (Korea)
• Morinaga (Japan)
• Dare Foods (Canada/USA)
• Barilla (Italy)
• ETI (Turkey)
• Ralston Purina (Bremner) (USA)
• Griffin (New Zealand)
3. Development of Microwave Sterilization
Technology for Pre-packaged foods
(~50 years)
All past MW sterilization systems used 2450
MHz
 Conventional Retorting Relies on Heat
Convection and Conduction in Foods
Retort
Convection

Target: C. botulinum spores

 A Multi-mode 2450 MHz Microwave Cavity

2450 MHz microwave heating system for food in plastic

pouches at US Army Natick Soldier Center in 1970
• Microwave pasteurization equipment with module
open to show alternating placement of magnetrons
(Berstoff, 1992)
Microwave pasteurization line for prepared meals
(Berstoff, 1992)
Microwave sterilization unit with external covering removed
(overpressure of 2.5 bar,OMAC, 1992)
Continuous microwave sterilization system
(OMAC, 1992)
Otsuka plant
in Japan (2008)
 TOP’S FOODS
Olen, Belgium (2000)
The 2nd generation Microwave Sterilization
System2000
•The 3d Generation of Microwave Technology at
Tops Foods, 2004
Sterilized products produced by TOPS Foods
MW pasteurized, processed to 80C MW sterilized, shelf-life 1 year
shelf-life 35 days at 7C at room temperature
 4. Research on Microwave Sterilization
Technologies at Washington State University
 4. Engineering and Scientific Challenges in
Developing MW Sterilization Processes
1. Technology/systems to provide stable
electromagnetic field patterns with high
energy efficiency
Single –mode, high coupling efficiency
2. FDA Approval
Stability of system and processes
Scientific base/means for process development
Food Safety
3. High quality foods
4. Scaling-up and economic viability
 MW STERILIZATION CONSOTIUM (2001-)

Washington State University

Microwave Company: Ferrite Component, NH
Food Packaging Companies:
Rexam Container, MO
Graphic Packaging, CO
Food Processing Companies:
Kraft Foods, ILL
Hormel, MN
Masterfoods (MARS USA), CA
Ocean Beauty Seafood Inc., WA
Technical Consultant: NPA
Supported by DoD DUST Program and US Army Natick Soldier
Center
Development of Microwave Sterilization Technology

Computer simulation

Microbial studies
System development

Process development

FDA Approval Scaling-up

Industrial implementation
0 phase shift

cavity
waveguide
WSU 915 MHz Single-Mode 10 kW Pilot Scale Sterilization
System (2001-2008)
 Steps involved in identification of cold and hot spots with mashed
potato sample

Computer vision to measure

M-2 color of processed
M-2 Kinetics trays.
Fo vs M-2 yield relationship

Checking repeatability of Identification of cold/ hot location

hot and cold spots with different For different tray size.
tray sizes and level of salt

Verification of location
Using fiber optics probes
77 min heating time (steam at 247
F)

MW sterilization of salmon
April 15, 2003
(Run-1)
140

circulating water tempture

120

100

80
parameters

temperature of salmon
60

40
MW heating: 2.4 min; F0=8.4
Total processing time: 10 min.
20

0
0.00 2.00 4.00 6.00 8.00 10.00 12.00
time [min]
Change of Shear Force in Pink Salmon Fillet Heated at 121˚C

170

150

130
Shear force (N)

110

90

70

50

30
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140
Cooking time (min)
Eggs
Mashed Potato
Microwave sterilized salmon and fried rice
•Maximum and minimum C values for food in a 10 oz tray after
• a F0=6 process, water temp=121 C

Process time Max cook Min Cook

(min) value value
Ideal 6 39 39
Retort 33+4 212 93
Microwave 9+4 58 50

•C values for food in a 10 oz tray after a F0=6 process, water

temp =125 C
Process time Max cook Min Cook
(min) value value

Ideal 2.4 22 22
Retort 27+4 279 78
Microwave 3.9+4 36 32
56
 Sensory and self-life studies at US Army
Natick Soldier Center

50 trays chicken
were produced for
Natick in January
2004
– Chicken product:
Natick evaluation,
shelve study and
taste panels
 Chicken Breast, OVERALL Acceptability
o
Averages over 6 months storage at 100 F
Hedonic score

8 y = -0.0796x + 6.7086
2
R = 0.6015 (Microw ave)
(1-9 scale)

7
6
5 y = -0.0865x + 5.4943
4 R2 = 0.946 (Retort)
3
2 Microwave
1 Retort
0
Linear (Microwave)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Linear (Retort)

Months in 100o F Storage

WSU 2nd generation system developed for FDA approval
- four single mode cavities, 40 kW max MW power
 Potential applications for microwave
sterilization/pasteurization technologies
- new processes
- new products
- new markets

For more information

http://www.microwaveheating.wsu.edu/
MW and RF Technologies are much more
complicated than conventional methods.

Successful development of new applications

requires extensive R&D efforts based on good
understanding of MW and RF heating principles
and the systems.

Pilot-scale studies are necessary for scaling up to

industrial processes
Thank You