ABSTRACT

Radio frequency (RF) dielectric heating is a heating technology that allows for rapid, uniform heating throughout a medium. This technology generates heat energy within the product and throughout its mass simultaneously due to the frictional interactions of polar dielectric molecules rotating in response to an externally applied AC electric ƒeld [1,2]. RF dielectric heating offers several advantages over conventional heating methods in food application, including saving energy by increasing heat efƒciency; achieving rapid and even heating; reducing checking, the uneven stresses in the product as a result of evening the product moisture proƒle; avoiding pollution as there are no byproducts of combustion; increasing production without an increase in overall plant length; saving žoor space as efƒcient heat transfer results in faster product transfer and reduced oven length; and automatically compensating for variations in product moisture. In addition, this technology can be easily adapted during implementation to be compatible with automated production batch and/or continuous žow processing [1-4].