Innovative Infrared Heating Technologies for Food and Agricultural Processing

Food and agricultural industries have an increasing need to develop and adopt novel and sustainable processing technologies with high processing and energy efficiency and less water usage and waste-water generation while, at the same time, delivering safe, high-quality processed food and agricultural products. The use of infrared (IR) radiation heating for food and agricultural processing represents a novel approach for various food thermal processing operations, including drying, blanching, disinfestation, disinfection, and stabilization. Relevant attributes of IR heating technology include high heat delivery rate, lack of need for a heating medium, reduced processing time, improved energy efficiency, and enhanced product quality and safety with a minimal environmental footprint. The author and his research team recently conducted systematic and innovative research on IR heating for food and agricultural product processing, which resulted in an advancement in the scientific knowledge of IR heating in food science and engineering and the development and commercialization of a series of patented processing technologies. The novel IR heating technologies improved food healthfulness, quality, and safety while saving energy and water. The focus of this article is the review of several innovative IR heating-based processing technologies that were developed, including IR dry-peeling, dry-blanching, and dehydration technologies for fruits and vegetables; IR heating technology for drying and roasting of tree nuts; and effective IR heating for simultaneously achieving multiple goals in rice postharvest processing.