Vol. 9, Issue 2 (2020)

Author(s):
Garima Yadav, Neeraj Gupta, Monika Sood, Nadira Anjum and Ankita Chib

Abstract:
Processing of food products is a necessary requirement for extending their shelflife. However, such processing generally involves heat treatment that can enhance the safety of the food, but reduce organoleptic quality. Fruit processing and preservation technologies must keep fresh-like characteristics while providing an acceptable and convenient shelf life as well as assuring safety and nutritional value. Processing technologies include a wide range of methodologies to inactivate microorganisms, improve quality and stability, and preserve and minimize changes of fruit fresh-like characteristics. Over the years, researchers have looked for many technologies to optimize time and temperature profiles in order to minimize the exposure of food to heat. The newer food-processing technologies may have potential to supplement or even eliminate the use of heat treatment. A number of potential opportunities exist for exploiting the benefits of electromagnetic radiations in food processing, which include technologies like ohmic, infrared (IR), and microwave heating. IR radiation is electromagnetic energy with wavelengths longer than those of visible light, gamma, and ultraviolet radiation, but shorter than those of microwave and radio frequency. IR radiation falls between the region of visible light (0.38-0.78 μm) and microwaves (11000 mm). IR mainly utilized for food processing because of the several advantages such as higher heat-transfer capacity, instant heating because of direct heat penetration, high energy efficiency, faster heat treatment, fast regulation response, better process control, no heating of surrounding air, equipment compactness, uniform heating, preservation of vitamins, and less chance of flavor losses from burning of foods. Heat transfer of IR processing occurs as radiation in the absence of an intervening medium between two surfaces at different temperatures. In food, apart from surface heating of foods and dehydration of agricultural products, IR radiation could conveniently be used for decontamination and disinfection of food and food-contact surfaces. The energy throughput is increased using a combination of microwave heating and IR heating. This combination heats food quickly and eliminates the problem of poor quality.