The invention relates to a method for treating a food product by means of non-conventional resistive heating. The heating serves to treat sausage products in an intestine, such as Brhwurst (scalded sausage), hot dogs or similar food products. The respective food product is brought into contact with spaced-apart electrically conductive electrodes, wherein the electrodes are connected to a controllable power source. According to the invention, the electrodes are each in the form of at least one first and one second electrode group, wherein the electrode groups are at a distance A.sub.EG in relation to one another. Each electrode group has a number of individual electrodes, similar to a comb-like set of needles, wherein the neighboring individual electrodes of the comb-like set of needles are each at a distance A.sub.EE from one another. The distance A.sub.EG is greater than or at most equal to the distance A.sub.EE. The respective comb-like set of needles passes through the food product, wherein a punching process is realized in such a way that, based on the food product, inlet and outlet points of the comb-like set of needles, based on the encapsulation or sheathing, produce at least penetration points and the product being treated is accommodated in the space between two conveyor belts and the individual electrodes extend from at least one of the conveyor belts in the direction of the opposite conveyor belt.

The invention relates to a method for treating a food product by means of non-conventional resistive heating. The heating serves to treat sausage products in an intestine, such as Brhwurst (scalded sausage), hot dogs or similar food products. The respective food product is brought into contact with spaced-apart electrically conductive electrodes, wherein the electrodes are connected to a controllable power source. According to the invention, the electrodes are each in the form of at least one first and one second electrode group, wherein the electrode groups are at a distance A.sub.EG in relation to one another. Each electrode group has a number of individual electrodes, similar to a comb-like set of needles, wherein the neighboring individual electrodes of the comb-like set of needles are each at a distance A.sub.EE from one another. The distance A.sub.EG is greater than or at most equal to the distance A.sub.EE. The respective comb-like set of needles passes through the food product, wherein a punching process is realized in such a way that, based on the food product, inlet and outlet points of the comb-like set of needles, based on the encapsulation or sheathing, produce at least penetration points and the product being treated is accommodated in the space between two conveyor belts and the individual electrodes extend from at least one of the conveyor belts in the direction of the opposite conveyor belt.

A method for drying a food product includes the step of: a) inserting the food product in an enclosure, the enclosure being defined by the vessel of a mixer; and b) drying the food product in the enclosure by applying a vacuum to the enclosure. The supplying of heat to the product located inside the enclosure is carried out when the vacuum is applied to the enclosure during step b) such as to maintain and/or increase the temperature of the product during all or part of the process of drying by applying a vacuum to the enclosure. The supplying of heat is carried out by heat transfer between at least one heat-transfer fluid and the product and/or by irradiating the product with electromagnetic radiation.

A method for drying a food product includes the step of: a) inserting the food product in an enclosure, the enclosure being defined by the vessel of a mixer; and b) drying the food product in the enclosure by applying a vacuum to the enclosure. The supplying of heat to the product located inside the enclosure is carried out when the vacuum is applied to the enclosure during step b) such as to maintain and/or increase the temperature of the product during all or part of the process of drying by applying a vacuum to the enclosure. The supplying of heat is carried out by heat transfer between at least one heat-transfer fluid and the product and/or by irradiating the product with electromagnetic radiation.

The present invention relates to a thawing-apparatus, in which a substance is preferably heated. The present invention further relates to a method to thaw a substance with radio-frequency waves.

The present invention relates to a thawing-apparatus, in which a substance is preferably heated. The present invention further relates to a method to thaw a substance with radio-frequency waves.

The present invention relates to a heating apparatus, which heats a substance in a chamber. The present invention further relates to a food production line and a method to heat a substance with radio-frequency waves.

A cooling apparatus that cools a cooling target object while causing the cooling target object generate internal heat by an electromagnetic wave and that is capable of efficiently producing a subcooling state of the cooling target object is provided. The cooling apparatus includes a refrigeration machine which cools the cooling target object, an electromagnetic wave irradiation device which irradiates the cooling target object with an electromagnetic wave so as to cause the internal heat generation in the cooling target object and has a variable frequency of the irradiating electromagnetic wave, and a controller which controls operations of the refrigeration machine and the electromagnetic wave irradiation device and which performs a subcooling operation of cooling the cooling target object using the refrigeration machine while irradiating the cooling target object with an electromagnetic wave. The controller performs a preliminary operation of controlling the electromagnetic wave irradiation device such that the electromagnetic wave irradiation device irradiates the cooling target object with the electromagnetic waves of various frequencies by changing the frequency of the electromagnetic wave to be irradiated to determine a subcooling operation frequency which is a frequency of the electromagnetic wave to be irradiated to the cooling target object by the electromagnetic wave irradiation device in the subcooling operation. The controller controls the electromagnetic wave irradiation device so that the electromagnetic wave irradiation device irradiates the electromagnetic wave of the subcooling operation frequency determined in the preliminary operation in the subcooling operation.

The invention relates to a method to manufacture meat-based matrices and the matrices obtained thereof useful as bait for ant control. The method of the invention comprises (a) cleaning and mincing or slicing meat; (b) cooking the meat; (c) dewatering the meat; (d) grinding and sifting the meat to obtain meat particles; and (e) adding sugar and a preservative. Additionally, a nitrate source and an active ingredient can be incorporated into the matrices.

The invention relates to a method to manufacture meat-based matrices and the matrices obtained thereof useful as bait for ant control. The method of the invention comprises (a) cleaning and mincing or slicing meat; (b) cooking the meat; (c) dewatering the meat; (d) grinding and sifting the meat to obtain meat particles; and (e) adding sugar and a preservative. Additionally, a nitrate source and an active ingredient can be incorporated into the matrices.