Radio-Frequency Heating in Food Processing

As the third book of a series of publications dedicated to electro-technology applications in the food processing industry, this text covers successful radio frequency applications and advances in the milk, fruit juice, poultry, meat, baking and drying industries, and other opportunities where RF heating has clear advantages over other electro-technology options. RFa (TM)s impact on nutritional, quality, food and personal safety, as well as future perspective/prospects is presented. It explains how RF applications are similar to microwave heating in several aspects and describes their differences. It also describes the niche RF fills. An appendix includes a relevant case study.

George B. Awuah is currently the thermal process manager and process authority for Mars Petcare US, Franklin, Tennessee. He holds a B.Sc (Hon) from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana, and a Ph.D from McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He previously taught at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology; was a scientist and senior scientist at the Grocery Manufacturers Association, Washington, District of Columbia, USA; served as a research associate at McGill University; and collaborated with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Guelph, Ontario. Widely published, Dr. Awuah is a member of the Institute for Thermal Processing Specialists and Institute of Food Technologists. Hosahalli S. Ramaswamy holds a BS from Bangalore University, India; an MS from the Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore, India; and an MS and Ph.D from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. He is professor of food processing at McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada. During his 25 years at McGill, he has established several research programs in postharvest technology and food processing. Widely published and highly decorated, Dr. Ramaswamy is a popular keynote speaker, the editor of the Journal of Food Engineering, and a member of numerous boards and professional societies and a recipient of several awards, the recent ones being the Marvin Tung Award (IFTPS), fellow of CIFST, and fellow IUFoST. Recently, he led the Canadian team to win the bid to bring the 2015 International Congress of Food Engineering to Canada. Juming Tang is Regents professor and distinguished chair of food engineering at Washington State University, Pullman, USA. He has more than 20 years of research experience in areas of thermal processing using microwave and radio-frequency energy for food safety and pest control applications, in close collaboration with equipment and processing companies, related regulatory agencies, and US government research institutions. His laboratory developed 915 MHz single-mode microwave assisted sterilization (MATS) and pasteurization (MAP) technologies for packaged foods. Widely published and highly decorated, Dr. Tang is a fellow of the International Microwave Power Institute, American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, and Institute of Food Technologists.

Principles of Radio-Frequency and Microwave Heating. Radio-Frequency and Microwave Applications: Similarities, Advantages, and Limitations. Temperature Measurement in Radio-Frequency Applications. Dielectric Properties of Agricultural Products: Fundamental Principles, Influencing Factors, and Measurement Techniques. Electrical Conductivity Effect on Dielectric Properties and Radio-Frequency Heating. The Industrial Radio-Frequency Heater. The RF 50 - Technology versus Variable-Frequency RF Technology. Analysis of Radio-Frequency Industrial Heating Systems Using Computational Techniques. Modeling Electro-Assisted Processing Using Computational Fluid Dynamics. Radio Frequency Heating Effects on Microbial Destruction. Effect of Radio-Frequency Heating on Food Quality Factors. Radio-Frequency Drying of Food Materials. Radio-Frequency Baking and Roasting of Food Products. Radio-Frequency Thawing and Tempering. Radio-Frequency Pasteurization and Sterilization of Packaged Foods. Radio-Frequency Heating of Dry Foods and Agricultural Commodities. Applications of Radio-Frequency Heating to Meat, Fish, and Poultry Products. Application of Radio-Frequency Heating of Milk and Dairy Products. RF Treatment of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables. RF Deinfestation (Pest Control) of Agricultural Products. Radio Frequency Treatment of Food-Related Materials, Waste, and By-Products. Radio Frequency in Packaging, Inventory Control, and Tracking in the Food-Processing Industry.