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Application of Novel Thermal Technology in Foods Processing

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A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Engineering and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 December 2020) | Viewed by 47981

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Prof. Dr. Indrawati Oey

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Guest Editor

1. Department of Food Science, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
2. Riddet Institute, Palmerston North, New Zealand
Interests: food processing; plant protein functionality; protein-based food development; food microstructure
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Sze Ying Leong

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Guest Editor

1. Department of Food Science, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
2. Riddet Institute, Palmerston North, New Zealand
3. School of Biosciences, Taylor’s University Lakeside Campus, Subang Jaya, Malaysia
Interests: plant-based food; plant protein extraction; protein digestibility
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Advanced and novel thermal technologies, such as ohmic heating, dielectric heating (e.g., microwave heating and radio frequency heating), and inductive heating, have been developed to improve the effectiveness of heat processing whilst guaranteeing food safety and eliminating undesirable impacts on the organoleptic and nutritional properties of foods. Novel thermal technologies rely on heat generation directly inside foods, which has implications for improving the overall energy efficiency of the heating process itself. The use of novel thermal technologies is dependent on the complexity and inherent properties of the food materials of interest (e.g., thermal conductivity, electrical resistance, water content, pH, rheological properties, food porosity, and presence of particulates).

This Special Issue will present an overview of the latest applications of novel thermal technology in food processing. We invite authors to submit cutting edge original research papers or comprehensive review papers discussing novel thermal processing technologies from the perspectives of food safety, sustainability, process engineering, (bio)chemical changes, health, nutrition, sensory issues, and consumers. We also welcome papers that address the combination of thermal processing with emerging technologies such as pulsed electric fields and high hydrostatic pressure to complement the conventional thermal processing of fluid and solid foods.

Prof. Dr. Indrawati Oey
Dr. Sze Ying Leong
Guest Editors

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Keywords

novel thermal processing
emerging processing
ohmic heating
microwave heating
radio frequency heating
infrared heating
advanced drying
heating uniformity improvement
mathematical modelling
food constituents
health benefits
food quality
food safety
sustainability
consumer

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

5 pages, 196 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Application of Novel Thermal Technology in Foods Processing

by Sze Ying Leong and Indrawati Oey

Foods 2022, 11(1), 125; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11010125 - 5 Jan 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2977

Abstract

Advanced and novel thermal technologies, such as ohmic heating and dielectric heating (e [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Novel Thermal Technology in Foods Processing)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

17 pages, 849 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Kinetics of Colour Development during Frying of Potato Pre-Treated with Pulsed Electric Fields and Blanching: Effect of Cultivar

by Setya Budi Muhammad Abduh, Sze Ying Leong, Chun Zhao, Samantha Baldwin, David J. Burritt, Dominic Agyei and Indrawati Oey

Foods 2021, 10(10), 2307; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10102307 - 28 Sep 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3031

Abstract

The current research aimed to investigate the effect of pulsed electric fields (1 kV/cm; 50 and 150 kJ/kg) followed by blanching (3 min., 100 °C) on the colour development of potato slices during frying on a kinetic basis. Four potato cultivars ‘Crop77’, ‘Moonlight’, ‘Nadine’, and ‘Russet Burbank’ with different content of glucose and amino acids were used. Lightness (L* values from colorimeter measurement) was used as a parameter to assess the colour development during frying. The implementation of PEF and blanching as sequential pre-treatment prior to frying for all potato cultivars was found effective in improving their lightness in the fried products. PEF pre-treatment did not change the kinetics of L* reduction during frying (between 150 and 190 °C) which followed first-order reaction kinetics. The estimated reaction rate constant (k) and activation energy (E_a based on Arrhenius equation) for non-PEF and PEF-treated samples were cultivar dependent. The estimated E_a values during the frying of PEF-treated ‘Russet Burbank’ and ‘Crop77’ were significantly (p < 0.05) lower (up to 30%) than their non-PEF counterparts, indicating that the change in k value of L* became less temperature dependence during frying. This kinetic study is valuable to aid the optimisation of frying condition in deep-fried potato industries when PEF technology is implemented. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Novel Thermal Technology in Foods Processing)

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18 pages, 4034 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Heat and Mass Transfer Modeling to Predict Temperature Distribution during Potato Frying after Pre-Treatment with Pulsed Electric Field

by Gohar Gholamibozanjani, Sze Ying Leong, Indrawati Oey, Phil Bremer, Patrick Silcock and Mohammed Farid

Foods 2021, 10(8), 1679; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10081679 - 21 Jul 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4548

Abstract

Based on unsteady state heat conduction, a mathematical model has been developed to describe the simultaneous heat and moisture transfer during potato frying. For the first time, the equation was solved using both enthalpy and Variable Space Network (VSN) methods, based on a moving interface defined by the boiling temperature of water in a potato disc during frying. Two separate regions of the potato disc namely fried (crust) and unfried (core), were considered as heat transfer domains. A variable boiling temperature of the water in potato discs was required as an input parameter for the model as the water is evaporated during frying, resulting in an increase in the soluble solid concentration of the potato sample. Pulsed electric field (PEF) pretreatment prior to frying had no significant effect on the measured moisture content, thermal conductivity or frying time compared to potatoes that did not receive a PEF pretreatment. However, a PEF pretreatment at 1.1 kV/cm and 56 kJ/kg reduced the temperature variation in the experimentally measured potato center by up to 30%. The proposed heat and moisture transfer model based on unsteady state heat conduction successfully predicted the experimental measurements, especially when the equation was solved using the enthalpy method. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Novel Thermal Technology in Foods Processing)

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19 pages, 7524 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Optimization and Prediction of the Drying and Quality of Turnip Slices by Convective-Infrared Dryer under Various Pretreatments by RSM and ANFIS Methods

by Ebrahim Taghinezhad, Mohammad Kaveh and Antoni Szumny

Foods 2021, 10(2), 284; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10020284 - 31 Jan 2021

Cited by 38 | Viewed by 3801

Abstract

Drying can prolong the shelf life of a product by reducing microbial activities while facilitating its transportation and storage by decreasing the product weight and volume. The quality factors of the drying process are among the important issues in the drying of food and agricultural products. In this study, the effects of several independent variables such as the temperature of the drying air (50, 60, and 70 °C) and the thickness of the samples (2, 4, and 6 mm) were studied on the response variables including the quality indices (color difference and shrinkage) and drying factors (drying time, effective moisture diffusivity coefficient, specific energy consumption (SEC), energy efficiency and dryer efficiency) of the turnip slices dried by a hybrid convective-infrared (HCIR) dryer. Before drying, the samples were treated by three pretreatments: microwave (360 W for 2.5 min), ultrasonic (at 30 °C for 10 min) and blanching (at 90 °C for 2 min). The statistical analyses of the data and optimization of the drying process were achieved by the response surface method (RSM) and the response variables were predicted by the adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) model. The results indicated that an increase in the dryer temperature and a decline in the thickness of the sample can enhance the evaporation rate of the samples which will decrease the drying time (40–20 min), SEC (from 168.98 to 21.57 MJ/kg), color difference (from 50.59 to 15.38) and shrinkage (from 67.84% to 24.28%) while increasing the effective moisture diffusivity coefficient (from 1.007 × 10⁻⁹ to 8.11 × 10⁻⁹ m²/s), energy efficiency (from 0.89% to 15.23%) and dryer efficiency (from 2.11% to 21.2%). Compared to ultrasonic and blanching, microwave pretreatment increased the energy and drying efficiency; while the variations in the color and shrinkage were the lowest in the ultrasonic pretreatment. The optimal condition involved the temperature of 70 °C and sample thickness of 2 mm with the desirability above 0.89. The ANFIS model also managed to predict the response variables with R² > 0.96. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Novel Thermal Technology in Foods Processing)

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18 pages, 3471 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Application of Ohmic–Vacuum Combination Heating for the Processing of Senior-Friendly Food (Multiphase Food): Experimental Studies and Numerical Simulation

by Sung Yong Joe, Jun Hwi So, Seon Ho Hwang, Byoung-Kwan Cho, Wang-Hee Lee, Taiyoung Kang and Seung Hyun Lee

Foods 2021, 10(1), 138; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10010138 - 11 Jan 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3219

Abstract

The popularity of senior-friendly food has been increasing as the world enters the age of an aging society. It is required that senior-friendly food products are processed with the new concept of processing techniques that do not destroy the nutritional and sensory values. Ohmic heating can be an alternative to conventional heating methods for processing senior-friendly food with retaining excellent taste and quality because of less destruction of nutrients in the food. In this study, the ohmic–vacuum combination heating system was developed to process a multiphase type of senior-friendly food. Changes in physical and electrical properties of senior-friendly model foods were investigated depending on the experimental conditions such as vacuum pressure intensity and vacuum pretreatment time. Numerical simulations based on the experimental conditions were performed using COMSOL multiphysics. The ohmic–vacuum combination heating method with agitation reduced the heating time of the model food, and non-uniform temperature distribution in model food was successfully resolved due to the effect of vacuum and agitation. Furthermore, the difference was found in the hardness of solid particles depending on the vacuum treatment time and intensity after the heating treatment. The ohmic–vacuum combination heating system appeared effective when applying for the senior-friendly foods in multiphase form. The simulation results matched reasonably well with the experimental data, and the data predicted through simulation could save the cost and time of experimentation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Novel Thermal Technology in Foods Processing)

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19 pages, 1940 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development of Bacterial Spore Pouches as a Tool to Evaluate the Sterilization Efficiency—A Case Study with Microwave Sterilization Using Clostridium sporogenes and Geobacillus stearothermophilus

by Aswathi Soni, Jeremy Smith, Richard Archer, Amanda Gardner, Kris Tong and Gale Brightwell

Foods 2020, 9(10), 1342; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9101342 - 23 Sep 2020

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3407

Abstract

In this study, novel spore pouches were developed using mashed potato as a food model inoculated with either Geobacillus stearothermophilus or Clostridium sporogenes spores. These spore pouches were used to evaluate the sterilization efficiency of Coaxially induced microwave pasteurization and sterilization (CiMPAS) as a case study. CiMPAS technology combines microwave energy (915 MHz) along with hot water immersion to sterilize food in polymeric packages. The spore pouches were placed at pre-determined specific locations, especially cold spots in each food tray before being processed using two regimes (R-121 and R-65), which consisted of 121 °C and 65 °C at 12 and 22 kW, respectively, followed by recovery and enumeration of the surviving spores. To identify cold spots or the location for inoculation, mashed potato was spiked with Maillard precursors and processed through CiMPAS, followed by measurement of lightness values (*L-values). Inactivation equivalent to of 1–2 Log CFU/g and >6 Log CFU/g for Geobacillus stearothermophilus and Clostridium sporogenes spores, respectively was obtained on the cold spots using R-121, which comprised of a total processing time of 64.2 min. Whereas, inactivation of <1 and 2–3 Log CFU/g for G. stearothermophilus and C. sporogenes spores, respectively on the cold spots was obtained using R-65 (total processing time of 68.3 min), whereas inactivation of 1–3 Log CFU/g of C. sporogenes spores was obtained on the sides of the tray. The results were reproducible across three processing replicates for each regime and inactivation at the specific locations were clearly distinguishable. The study indicated a strong potential to use spore pouches as a tool for validation studies of microwave-induced sterilization. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Novel Thermal Technology in Foods Processing)

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15 pages, 3980 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Identification of Cold Spots Using Non-Destructive Hyperspectral Imaging Technology in Model Food Processed by Coaxially Induced Microwave Pasteurization and Sterilization

by Aswathi Soni, Mahmoud Al-Sarayreh, Marlon M. Reis, Jeremy Smith, Kris Tong and Gale Brightwell

Foods 2020, 9(6), 837; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9060837 - 26 Jun 2020

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4338

Abstract

The model food in this study known as mashed potato consisted of ribose (1.0%) and lysine (0.5%) to induce browning via Maillard reaction products. Mashed potato was processed by Coaxially Induced Microwave Pasteurization and Sterilization (CiMPAS) regime to generate an F0 of 6–8 min and analysis of the post-processed food was done in two ways, which included by measuring the color changes and using hyperspectral data acquisition. For visualizing the spectra of each tray in comparison with the control sample (raw mashed-potato), the mean spectrum (i.e., mean of region of interest) of each tray, as well as the control sample, was extracted and then fed to the fitted principal component analysis model and the results coincided with those post hoc analysis of the average reflectance values. Despite the presence of a visual difference in browning, the Lightness (L) values were not significantly (p < 0.05) different to detect a cold spot among a range of 12 processed samples. At the same time, hyperspectral imaging could identify the colder trays among the 12 samples from one batch of microwave sterilization. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Novel Thermal Technology in Foods Processing)

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14 pages, 1882 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evolution of Polyphenolic Compounds and Sensory Properties of Wines Obtained from Grenache Grapes Treated by Pulsed Electric Fields during Aging in Bottles and in Oak Barrels

by Marcos Andrés Maza, Juan Manuel Martínez, Guillermo Cebrián, Ana Cristina Sánchez-Gimeno, Alejandra Camargo, Ignacio Álvarez and Javier Raso

Foods 2020, 9(5), 542; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9050542 - 30 Apr 2020

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 2908

Abstract

The evolution of polyphenolic compounds and sensory properties of wines obtained from Grenache grapes, either untreated or treated with pulsed electric fields (PEF), in the course of bottle aging, as well as during oak aging followed by bottle aging, were compared. Immediately prior to aging in bottles or in barrels, enological parameters that depend on phenolic extraction during skin maceration were higher when grapes had been treated with PEF. In terms of color intensity, phenolic families, and individual phenols, the wine obtained with grapes treated by PEF followed an evolution similar to untreated control wine in the course of aging. Sensory analysis revealed that the application of a PEF treatment resulted in wines that are sensorially different: panelists preferred wines obtained from grapes treated with PEF. Physicochemical and sensory analyses showed that grapes treated with PEF are suitable for obtaining wines that require aging in bottles or in oak barrels. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Novel Thermal Technology in Foods Processing)

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14 pages, 1995 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Moisture, Temperature, and Salt Content on the Dielectric Properties of Pecan Kernels during Microwave and Radio Frequency Drying Processes

by Jigang Zhang, Maoye Li, Jianghua Cheng, Jiao Wang, Zhien Ding, Xiaolong Yuan, Sumei Zhou and Xinmin Liu

Foods 2019, 8(9), 385; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods8090385 - 2 Sep 2019

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 3685

Abstract

Dielectric properties of materials influence the interaction of electromagnetic fields with and are therefore important in designing effective dielectric heating processes. We investigated the dielectric properties (DPs) of pecan kernels between 10 and 3000 MHz using a Novocontrol broadband dielectric spectrometer in a temperature range of 5–65 °C and a moisture content range of 10–30% wet basis (wb) at three salt levels. The dielectric constant (ε′) and loss factor (ε″) of the pecan kernels decreased significantly with increasing frequency in the radio frequency (RF) band, but gradually in the measured microwave (MW) band. The moisture content and temperature increase greatly contributed to the increase in the ε′ and ε″ of samples, and ε″ increased sharply with increasing salt strength. Quadratic polynomial models were established to simulate DPs as functions of temperature and moisture content at four frequencies (27, 40, 915, and 2450 MHz), with R² > 0.94. The average penetration depth of pecan kernels in the RF band was greater than that in the MW band (238.17 ± 21.78 cm vs. 15.23 ± 7.36 cm; p < 0.01). Based on the measured DP data, the simulated and experimental temperature-time histories of pecan kernels at five moisture contents were compared within the 5 min RF heating period. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Novel Thermal Technology in Foods Processing)

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Review

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21 pages, 1153 KiB

Open AccessReview

Understanding the Frying Process of Plant-Based Foods Pretreated with Pulsed Electric Fields Using Frying Models

by Zihan Xu, Sze Ying Leong, Mohammed Farid, Patrick Silcock, Phil Bremer and Indrawati Oey

Foods 2020, 9(7), 949; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9070949 - 17 Jul 2020

Cited by 37 | Viewed by 13231

Abstract

Deep-fried foods (e.g., French fries, potato/veggie crisps) are popular among consumers. Recently, there has been an increased interest in the application of Pulsed Electric Fields (PEF) technology as a pretreatment of plant-based foods prior to deep-frying to improve quality (e.g., lower browning tendency and oil uptake) and reduce production costs (e.g., better water and energy efficiencies). However, the influence of a PEF pretreatment on the frying process and related chemical reactions for food materials is still not fully understood. PEF treatment of plant tissue causes structural modifications, which are likely to influence heat, mass and momentum transfers, as well as altering the rate of chemical reactions, during the frying process. Detailed insights into the frying process in terms of heat, mass (water and oil) and momentum transfers are outlined, in conjunction with the development of Maillard reaction and starch gelatinisation during frying. These changes occur during frying and consequently will impact on oil uptake, moisture content, colour, texture and the amount of contaminants in the fried foods, as well as the fried oil, and hence, the effects of PEF pretreatment on these quality properties of a variety of fried plant-based foods are summarised. Different mathematical models to potentially describe the influence of PEF on the frying process of plant-based foods and to predict the quality parameters of fried foods produced from PEF-treated plant materials are addressed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Novel Thermal Technology in Foods Processing)

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