Microwave Heating

Dr. Eko Hari Purnomo, STP, MSc

Department of Food Science and Technology
Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and
Technology

FST231 Principle of Food Processing

Learning outcomes
• Describe and compare the principles of
microwave and ohmic heating and their
application in food industries.
Microwave and ohmic heating

Electrical
Heat
energy

Direct heating
 Microwave heating
advantages disadvantages
• less start up time • non-uniform heating,
• faster heating • lack of colour and
flavour development
• high energy efficiency
• soggy surface
• space savings
• high moisture loss,
• precise process control • firm texture
• selective heating
• Produce foods with
high nutritional quality
 Type of radiation energy

< 100 nm
- Beta rays,
- Alpha rays,
- Neutrons rays

Figure 1 Approximate wavelength in meter of many kind waves

Type of radiation energy
1 Neutron rays

2 Gamma rays
3 Beta rays
4 Alpha rays
>> wavelength
5 X rays
6 Ultra violet
7 Infrared

8 Microwaves
Type of radiation energy
1 Neutron rays

• High penetration power.

• High energy.
• Can cause the radioactivity of exposed
compound.
Type of radiation energy
2 Gamma rays

• The most energetic form of electromagnetic

radiation.
• Product of radioactive atoms.
• Gamma ray emission frequently follows beta
decay, alpha decay, and other nuclear decay.
Type of radiation energy
3 Beta rays

• Higher penetration power than alpha rays

(can’t penetrate aluminium).
• Beta particles have a negative (-) charge.
• Mostly used in health treatment, i.e. eye and
bone cancer.
Type of radiation energy
4 Alpha rays

• All alpha particles from a particular

radionuclide transformation will have identical
energies.
• Alpha particles have a positive (+) charge.
• Can’t penetrate paper.
Type of radiation energy

Figure 2 Alpha, beta, and gamma rays radiation

Type of radiation energy
Type of radiation energy
5 X rays

• The power of penetration is higher than ultra

violet’s.
• Difficult to be focused → not efficient in its
utilization.
Type of radiation energy
5 X rays

• Uses of X-rays:
– Medical: medical analysis, i.e. dentist use them to
find complication cavities and impacted teeth.
– Industry: products inspection of various kinds of
materials.
– Science: analysis of atoms arrangement in many
kinds of substances, particularly crystals.
Type of radiation energy
6 Ultra violet

• At 200 – 280 nm, it has microbial inactivation

ability (at the food surface).
• Low penetration power.
• Commonly used in sanitation of equipment’s
surface, air, and production room(s).
Type of radiation energy
6 Ultra violet

• Water purification
Type of radiation energy
7 Infrared

• Part of electromagnetic spectrum.

• It is invisible to human eyes, but people can
feel it as heat.

Infrared Thermometer
Type of radiation energy
8 Microwaves

• Electromagnetic waves from radiated energy,

• λ = 0.025 – 0.750 m,
• f = 20,000 – 400 MHz,
• Commonly used: 2,450 and 915 MHz.
Type of radiation energy
8 Microwaves

Characteristics:
• If it is reflected or penetrated, it can’t
produce heat.
• If it is absorbed, it can produce heat at the
compound.
Type of radiation energy
Microwaves Video
Terminology

Loss factor

Penetration

Absorbed energy
Terminology
1. Loss Factor
• The amount of absorbed micro waves.
• It is directly proportional with amount of heat
produced.
• It is inversely with level of compound penetration.
• Lower frequency, higher penetration.
Terminology
• Glass, paper, plastic → low loss factor → not produce
heat.
• Metals reflect microwaves.
• High water content food → high loss factor → quickly
become hot.
 Terminology
Loss factor Mashed
Loss factor
35 Potatoes
160 450 MHz
30
Cooked 140
25 120
carrots
20 100
15 80
60
10 900 MHz
40
5 H2O
20 2700 MHz
0 0 -20
-20 0 20 40 60 20 40 60
Temperature (oC) Temperature (oC)

∈ 𝛆" = 𝐟 ( 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲, 𝐓𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞)

Terminology
2. Penetration
λ0
X=
2π ε" tan δ

X = penetration depth (m)

𝜆0 = wave length (m)
ɛ” = dielectric constant
tan δ = loss factor
Terminology
• Based on the formula:
• ↑ wave length, ↑ penetration
• ↑ loss factor, ↓ penetration

Table 1 Correlation between water content of compound with

its penetration depth
Water Penetration depth (d = cm)
ɛ’
content 915 MHz 2,450 MHz
High 15.0 8.4 3.1
Medium 4.0 11.7 4.4
Low 1.5 22.1 8.2
Terminology
Table 2 Correlation between loss factor and penetration depth (cm) of different
samples
Sample Loss factor Penetration depth (cm)
Water 12.000 1.00
Water + 0.5 M NaCl 32.000 0.26
Ice 0.003 800.00
Beef 12.000 0.70
Potato 16.000 0.66
Paper 0.150 14.80
PE 0.003 700.00
Terminology
3. Absorbed energy

P = 55.61 + 10−14 f E 2 ε“

P = absorbed energy
f = frequency (Hz)
E = electric field strength
ɛ” = loss factor
Terminology
P = 55.61 + 10−14 f E 2 ε“

• Based on the formula:

• ↑ frequency, ↑ absorbed energy
• ↑ loss factor, ↑ absorbed energy
Terminology
Mechanism
Water molecules and other
polar molecules

Oscillation
(at microwave frequency)

Friction from molecules

interaction

Heat

Heat transfer
(through conduction and/or convection)
 Dielectric Heating (and microwaves)
-
O
H H+ “Changes of
+ polarization
+/- + + orientation”
H H
Generator Food
(Oscillator) (sample)
O-
+/-
+ Ionic
+ displacement

Figure 3 Mechanism of dielectric heating

• Mechanisms involved:
• Reflected by metal
• Absorbed → changed into heat form by dielectric (internal heating
or Molecular friction)
Microwaves Heating Characteristics
• Heating the water-content sites of food
(sample).
• Heating process runs quickly.
• It does not make the surface become
scorched.
• Easy and effective*

*depends on the kind of food

Microwaves- vs Conventional-Heating

Microwaves Heating Conventional Heating

Figure 3 Microwaves and conventional heating

• Heat produced from food • Heat from surface moves

inside → quick heating → into inside of food
reduce risk of overheating
Microwaves Components

Magnetron

Waveguide

Treatment chamber
Microwaves Components
1. Magnetron
• Magnetron (Microwave generator):
• Electron tube in magnet field that produces high frequency of
radiation energy.
• Microwave is reflected to any direction to get uniform heat.
• For safety usage: use interlock system.
• Changes electric energy into microwave.
2. Waveguide
• Focuses microwaves radiation (as tunnel from Al tube).
3. Treatment chamber
• Closed room/protected by metals.
Microwaves Components Magnetron
Microwaves Components Waveguide
Microwaves Components Treatment Chamber
Microwaves Configuration
MW Generator
Treatment
Waveguide Chamber

Conveyor
belt

Figure 4 Sterilization/pasteurization system configuration with

dielectric heating and microwave
Microwaves Configuration

Figure 5 Microwave configuration

Application
Baking Blanching

Evaporation Puffing

Cooking Thawing

Drying Pasteurization
Specific Application
• Suitable for partially-dried food, i.e. pasta and
legumes.
– Pasta: Advantage → Reduce drying time (from 8
hrs to 90 min), reduce number of microbes 15
times, doesn’t produce case hardening.
– Legumes: improve germination rate.
– Principle: dry food inside (without overcooked at
surface)
Application of Microwave Heating
• Home scale: Microwave oven
• Commercials:
– Heating without changes of product’s basic
characteristics: thawing & defrosting (tempering).
– Heating with changes of product’s basic
characteristics: puffing & baking, blanching, cooking,
roasting.
– Drying: dehydration at normal or vacuum pressure.
– Microbes inactivation: sterilization & pasteurization*
*still being developed through research
Application of Microwave Heating
1. Baking
• To improve and continue the next process of drying.
• Mechanisms involved:
• Conventional oven for baking (effective for high water
content food),
• ↓ water content → case hardening,
• Next drying/baking: Microwave Oven (dry inside the
food without “overcook’ at surface).
Application of Microwave Heating
2. Thawing
• Heat conductivity of water < heat conductivity of ice,
• Loss factor of water > loss factor of ice,
• Thawing: reduce heat transfer process level and increase
water content & loss factor → accelerate heating process.
• Problems: (especially for big size food)
• Thawing process does not result in uniform.
• Overcooked at surface.
Application of Microwave Heating
3. Defrosting
• Increases frozen product temperature: -20 to -3 °C,
• Improves slicing of meat and butter product,
• Fast: defrosting of meat only need 10 min (compared to
traditional method: need few days at cold room),
• Minimizes phase changes, drip loss, and overcooked,
• Improves quality: more hygienic, can be done for packed
food,
• Less room is needed,
• economic,.
Application of Microwave Heating
4. Dehydration
Traditional dehydration
Decreases heat transfer (through ↓
product thermal conductivity)
↑ time, ↓ sensory and nutrition
qualities
High level of oxidation: ↓ color and
vitamins, for high PUFA food results
in rancidity
Case hardening: firm, hard, difficult
to be heated, reduces quality
Microwave dehydration
Does not affect heat conductivity
Does not heat air: lowering oxidation
process
Commonly used for semi/partially
dried food drying, microwave still
heating wet area without affecting
dried area
Case hardening does not happen
How does the microwave work?
 The main differences between
dielectric/microwave and ohmic heating
• Dielectric energy induces molecular friction in water molecules to
produce heat, whereas ohmic heating is due to the electrical
resistance of a food
• Dielectric heating is determined in part by the moisture content of
the food, whereas ohmic heating depends on the electrical
resistance of the food
• Commercially, microwaves and radio frequency energy are
produced at specifiedfrequency bands that are allocated to prevent
interference with radio transmissions. Ohmic heating uses mains
frequency electricity
• The depth of penetration into a food is directly related to
frequency. In contrast, ohmic heating penetrates throughout the
food instantly
Case Study
What factors should be considered when
food industries decided to use microwave
heating systems?
Thank you