A microwave heating system configured for heating a plurality of articles is provided. One or more of the microwave launchers can be offset slightly, such that the microwave energy introduced into the heating chamber is discharged at a launch tilt angle of at least 2. Additionally, each launcher can include a microwave-transparent window disposed between the microwave chamber and the one or more launch openings and at least 50 percent of the chamber-side surface of the window can be oriented at an angle of at least 2 from the horizontal.

Disinfecting particulate material includes combining the particulate material with a photocatalyst to yield a mixture, irradiating the mixture for a length of time with pulses from a light source having broadband emission spectrum between 190 nm-1100 nm to yield an irradiated mixture, and separating the photocatalyst from the disinfected mixture to yield the disinfected particulate matter. Irradiating the mixture inactivates microorganisms in the mixture to yield a disinfected mixture. A system for disinfecting particulate material includes a pulsed light source having a broadband emission spectrum in a range between about 190 nm and about 1100 nm, a chamber defining a cavity optically coupled to the pulsed light source, a humidifier, a fan, and one or more sensors. The chamber includes a conveyor configured to accept the particulate material and arranged such that the pulses emitted by the pulsed light source irradiate the particulate material on the conveyor.

The present invention relates to a method and equipment intended to heat or sterilize liquid such as water, milk, broth, sauces, juices and similar foods and other fluids used in pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications. More specifically this describes a novel approach for continuously heating liquid food or liquid using an electro-magnetic (EM) radiation such as infra-red and other EM radiation sources. It achieves this by conveying radiation from a remote or local source and directing the radiation onto liquid dispersed into tiny droplets in a chamber. Infra-red and other EM radiations have a limitation in that the penetration depth of energy into the product/liquid is very short. Thus, product can be heated only in a thin layer near the periphery surface where the energy strikes. By dispersing liquid in drop droplets, the radiation effectively penetrates the whole body of fluid and consequently heats and destroys bacteria and some spores. The processed fluid then is commercially sterile or has much lower microbial load and hence it has a longer shelf life, under refrigeration.

The present invention relates to a method and equipment intended to heat or sterilize liquid such as water, milk, broth, sauces, juices and similar foods and other fluids used in pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications. More specifically this describes a novel approach for continuously heating liquid food or liquid using an electro-magnetic (EM) radiation such as infra-red and other EM radiation sources. It achieves this by conveying radiation from a remote or local source and directing the radiation onto liquid dispersed into tiny droplets in a chamber. Infra-red and other EM radiations have a limitation in that the penetration depth of energy into the product/liquid is very short. Thus, product can be heated only in a thin layer near the periphery surface where the energy strikes. By dispersing liquid in drop droplets, the radiation effectively penetrates the whole body of fluid and consequently heats and destroys bacteria and some spores. The processed fluid then is commercially sterile or has much lower microbial load and hence it has a longer shelf life, under refrigeration.

Embodiments herein relate to one or more methods comprising heating of a kava product; pressurizing the kava product, electrically pulsing the kava product, homogenizing the kava product or combinations thereof; cooling the kava product; wherein the method is configured to stabilize the kava product against microbiological decomposition or reduce microbial count in order to improve safety and extend shelf life under refrigeration and/or at ambient temperature.

A method and apparatus for pasteurizing and drying cannabis plant materials using a microwave-vacuum chamber. The pasteurizing and drying are carried out with no use of ionizing radiation and with rapid drying. Pasteurization is done at a temperature and for a time period that are sufficient to reduce microorganisms to an acceptably low level, while not significantly reducing the psychoactive compounds in the material. In the process, the pressure inside a vacuum chamber is reduced to a first pressure less than atmospheric. The material is maintained in the vacuum chamber at the first pressure at a pasteurizing temperature while irradiating the material with microwave radiation. The pressure is then reduced to a second pressure lower than the first pressure and the material is maintained in the vacuum chamber at the second pressure for a time period at a dehydrating temperature lower than the pasteurizing temperature while irradiating the material with microwave radiation. The pasteurizing and dehydrating steps can be done in the reverse order.

A device fir treating a product with microwaves has a treatment chamber in which the product can be conveyed along a transport track in a transport direction through the treatment chamber, and has a microwave-emitting apparatus, which is arranged in the treatment chamber and by which microwaves coupled into the microwave-emitting apparatus can be emitted, which microwaves impinge upon the product. The microwave-emitting apparatus has at least one coaxial conductor, which protrudes into or is arranged in the treatment chamber and which has an electrically conductive inner conductor and an electrically conductive outer conductor, the outer conductor surrounding the inner conductor at a distance therefrom and in coaxial arrangement and having at least one opening, which enables the emission of microwaves through the opening from the coaxial conductor onto the product. The microwave-emitting apparatus has a plurality of coaxial conductors arranged at a distance from each other in the transport direction, each having at least one opening in the outer conductor. In a coaxial conductor arranged subsequently in the transport direction, the at least one opening is offset transversely to the transport direction with respect to the at least one opening of a preceding coaxial conductor.

A device fir treating a product with microwaves has a treatment chamber in which the product can be conveyed along a transport track in a transport direction through the treatment chamber, and has a microwave-emitting apparatus, which is arranged in the treatment chamber and by which microwaves coupled into the microwave-emitting apparatus can be emitted, which microwaves impinge upon the product. The microwave-emitting apparatus has at least one coaxial conductor, which protrudes into or is arranged in the treatment chamber and which has an electrically conductive inner conductor and an electrically conductive outer conductor, the outer conductor surrounding the inner conductor at a distance therefrom and in coaxial arrangement and having at least one opening, which enables the emission of microwaves through the opening from the coaxial conductor onto the product. The microwave-emitting apparatus has a plurality of coaxial conductors arranged at a distance from each other in the transport direction, each having at least one opening in the outer conductor. In a coaxial conductor arranged subsequently in the transport direction, the at least one opening is offset transversely to the transport direction with respect to the at least one opening of a preceding coaxial conductor.

The present invention relates to the field of food dehydration and production of snacks. In particular, the invention relates to a method for drying vegetables using microwaves in order to produce an improved dried product. The invention also relates to said dried vegetables and to the use thereof in the agro-food industry.

The present disclosure discloses a high-content buckwheat dried noodle and a preparation method thereof, and belongs to the field of multi-grain flour products processing. The high-content buckwheat dried noodle of the present disclosure includes whole buckwheat flour, high-gluten wheat flour, vital wheat gluten, resistant starch, egg white powder, sodium alginate, konjac flour, sodium carbonate, glutamine aminotransferase, hemicellulase and phytase. The preparation method include: preprocessing a buckwheat raw material, optimizing a ratio of raw materials to auxiliary materials, and vacuum mixing, improved sheeting process, cutting, hanging, drying, strip shortening, packaging and other techniques and preparing high-content buckwheat dried noodles. By using the enzyme modification technique, the present disclosure improves protein cross-linking, increases soluble dietary fiber content, and biodegrades the anti-nutritional factor phytic acid, thereby effectively improving the utilization rate of nutrients, controlling the generation of post-prandial blood glucose and preventing obesity. Moreover, the high-content buckwheat dried noodle of the present disclosure includes no edible salt in its formula, is a healthy low-salt product which conforms to the concept of modern healthy diet.