ABSTRACT
Electromagnetics, heat transfer, moisture transfer, and food quality changes are the components of a microwave heating process. Thus, the parameters that may need to be measured during a microwave heating process include dielectric properties, electromagnetic field strength, thermal properties, temperature, mass transfer properties, moisture content and time-temperature histories (as indicators of quality). Dielectric property measurement was discussed in Chapter 3. Thermal and mass transfer property measurements are outside the scope of this handbook and the reader is referred to books such as Ref. 1. This chapter will discuss measurement of process parameters such as electromagnetic field strength, temperature, moisture, and integrated time-temperature history. Measurement of other process parameters such as pressure, refractive index, strain are possible in the microwave environment using specialized systems, but these are not discussed here.
