A method for monitoring cooking in an oven appliance includes drawing cooking vapors or gases from a cooking chamber to a fluid analysis assembly of the oven appliance during a gas or vapor analysis cooking cycle, determining a cooking status of the food item within the cooking chamber with the controller of the oven appliance based upon a response pattern of a plurality of fluid sensors of the fluid analysis assembly to the cooking vapors or gases during the gas or vapor analysis cooking cycle, and activating an alert with the controller of the oven appliance when the cooking status of the food item within the cooking chamber is a particular cooking status.

A method and apparatus comprising microwave radiation pulses to reduce a microorganism population in an object.

A method is provided for producing at least one popcorn grain substantially entire and coated, completely or partially, with at least a first layer of a first melted cheese directly in contact with the popcorn grain. The first melted cheese has an initial moisture content of less than 35%, or alternatively, the first melted cheese is cooked too and its moisture after cooking is lower than 8%. A second layer of a second cheese may be applied to the food product.

Packaging material includes microwave interactive material and is automatically reconfigurable for selectively controlling transmission of microwave energy through the packaging material. The packaging material is configured to vary, as a function of time, a ratio of microwave energy transmitted through the packaging material. The packaging material is configured so that the microwave energy is automatically selectively transmitted in different ratios.

A method to produce cheese chips, consisting in provides that cut cheese slices are frozen and then raised by means of rapid water evaporation due to the application of microwave and vacuum drying. The freezing step is preceded by drying and cooling, and the raised cheese chips containing cheese and flavourings are characterised in that their density does not exceed 0.46 g/cm.sup.3, the porosity does exceed 40%, and the crunchiness does exceed 4.

New sandwich product, particularly a fast food sandwich product that contains appreciable amounts of salad ingredients, and to a salad insert suitable for use in such sandwich product to improve the diet of the consumer. The sandwich product can include a layer of a meat or protein portion with the layer of a wrapped salad portion that are placed on or enclosed between a bread portion. The wrapped salad portion uses an edible wrapper to enclose the salad ingredients. The edible wrapper can be an edible processed wrapper such as rice paper or soy paper, or an edible natural wrapper such as a lettuce leaf or cabbage leaf, or a combination thereof. An edible humectant can be used in the source of water used for moistening a dried sheet of a rice paper for improving the resistance to drying of a moistened rice paper. Salad dressing can be injected through the outer layer of the wrapped salad portion using a needle.

A home appliance is provided for substance processing using microwave. The home appliance includes a temperature sensor, a microwave generator configured to generate microwave, and a controller coupled to the temperature sensor and the microwave generator. The controller is configured to control an operation of the microwave generator based on a measurement of the temperature sensor for processing the substance.

A microwave cooking appliance and method for operating the same perform an adaptive thermal sensing cycle in which a temperature sensor is used to develop a temperature profile for food being heated or cooked at an intermediate point in the cycle, such that a duration and output level for a subsequent stage of the cycle may be determined at least in part based upon the temperature profile.

A home appliance is provided for substance processing using microwave. The home appliance comprises a temperature sensor, a microwave generator configured to generate microwave, and a controller coupled to the temperature sensor and the microwave generator. The controller is configured to control an operation of the microwave generator based on a measurement of the temperature sensor for processing the substance.

The present invention relates to a susceptor combination comprising: metallic particles; particles of at least two or more semiconductor materials; and one or more alkaline or alkaline earth metal salts; to a susceptor ink composition containing it. It also relates to a laminate comprising a dielectric substrate and the susceptor ink composition printed on the substrate, as well as a microwaveable package comprising the laminate.