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Three‐dimensional MRI mapping of minimum temperatures achieved in microwave and conventional food processing
Author(s) -
Bows John R.,
Patrick Maria L.,
Nott Kevin P.,
Hall Laurie D.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
international journal of food science and technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.831
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1365-2621
pISSN - 0950-5423
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2621.2001.00444.x
Subject(s) - overheating (electricity) , microwave , quality assurance , process engineering , thermal conduction , food processing , food products , materials science , microwave heating , environmental science , biological system , computer science , nuclear engineering , food science , chemistry , engineering , composite material , electrical engineering , telecommunications , operations management , external quality assessment , biology
Microbiological assurance protocols for food preservation are based on the ‘worst‐case’ slowest heating point within the food product. For conduction‐limited processing, this leads to well‐known overheating near surface regions of products, with resultant quality loss. For volumetric heating processes such as microwave heating, it is practically impossible to guarantee where the slowest heating point will be. Consequently, microwave heating regimes are generally excessive and product quality is often similar to conventional conduction‐limited heating processes. It is well known that Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) can provide three‐dimensional (3D) images which quantify the spatial distribution of water in foods, and also that the MRI parameters of water are temperature dependent. The present study demonstrates that a combination of these two concepts has led to a new approach for the validation of thermal processing in food manufacture. The potential for on‐line assurance of minimum and maximum temperatures for manufacture of microbiologically assured, minimally processed, high quality food is discussed.