Food Irradiation and Microwave Heating

Abstract

Food irradiation and microwave heating are entirely different processes with distinct and separate objectives. Nevertheless, it is appropriate to consider them in a single chapter since they do share some common features. Both food irradiation and microwave heating employ radiant energies that produce their effects upon being absorbed within the food. Both require special equipment to generate and focus this energy, as well as to prevent potentially harmful effects to humans. Irradiation and microwave heating represent relatively new technologies as applied to foods. Although having received intensive investigation, both must be considered to be not yet fully researched nor exploited in terms of their full potentials. Food irradiation is used primarily as a preservation method, but also has potential as a more general unit operation to produce specific changes in food materials. Microwave energy, on the other hand, has been employed especially to produce rapid and unique heating effects, one application of which can be food preservation.