Journal of Food Processing & Technology

Abstract

Potentials of Microwave Heating Technology for Select Food Processing Applications - a Brief Overview and Update

Pradeep Puligundla, Seerwan A Abdullah, Won Choi, Soojin Jun, Sang-Eun Oh and Sanghoon Ko

In recent years, microwave heating has been increasingly popular all over the world, in particular for modern household food-processing applications, due to increased economic merits in many developing countries such as steady economic growth, high disposable income, etc. This trend also seems to be associated with increased awareness about the benefits of nutritious and healthy foods as well as functionalities of certain phytochemicals in diets, which may act as neutraceuticals. Microwave heating is known for its operational safety and nutrient retention capacity with minimal loss of heat-labile nutrients such as B and C vitamins, dietary antioxidant phenols and carotenoids. This review was aimed to provide a brief yet comprehensive update on prospects of microwave heating for food processing applications, with special emphasis on the benefits at household level and its impact on food quality in terms of microbial and nutritional value changes.