The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for controlling a cooking process of food. The method comprises a step of emitting (101) a plurality of radio frequency signals into the food non invasively. The method also comprises a step of receiving (105) a plurality of reflection signals or transmission signals of the radio frequency signals from the food, wherein the reflection signals is a part of the radio frequency signals that reflect from the food, and the transmission signals is a part of the radio frequency signals that transmit through the food. The method also comprises a step of obtaining (110) a protein status, wherein the protein status is the extent of protein denaturation, in the food in the course of heating the food based on the plurality of radio frequency signals and the plurality of reflection signals or transmission signals. The method also comprises a step of determining (120) a doneness level of the food based on the protein status, and a step of controlling (130) the cooking process of the food based on the determined doneness level. Using the protein denaturation provides a more direct and precise information of the status of food based on established relation between the doneness level and the protein denaturation extent.

A refrigerator is described (1) having at least one fresh food compartment (2) wherein foodstuffs to be cooled are placed, a vacuum compartment (3) situated in the fresh food compartment (2), wherein foodstuffs are placed for being stored without being deteriorated, a pump (4) that enables the air inside the vacuum compartment (3) to be evacuated, and at least one ultraviolet lamp (5) that is situated on the vacuum compartment (3) and that provides sterilization.

The present invention describes a PEF (pulsed electric field) chamber 1 intended for treating a flow with electric field pulses, said PEF chamber comprising a PEF treatment tube 2 and opposite electrode units 3, 4, wherein said opposite electrode units 3, 4 each has one flow receiving end 5a, 5b and one flow exit end 6a, 6b, wherein the PEF treatment tube 2 comprises exit flow portions 7a, 7b arranged subsequent to the flow exit ends 6a, 6b of the electrode units 3, 4 in the intended flow direction, and thus functioning as an extension of the opposite electrode units 3, 4 in the intended flow direction, wherein the exit flow portions 7a, 7b of the PEF treatment tube 2 are arranged to provide a geometrical narrowing 20 subsequent to the flow exit ends 6a, 6b.

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a laver-like processed food using onions (Allium cepa L.), and more specifically, to a method of manufacturing a laver-like processed food using onions that has excellent texture and an improved flavor, wherein, according to the method of the present invention, after onions are molded into sheets and dried, the onion sheets are prevented from sticking to a laver mat for drying and being damaged when the onion sheets are separated from the laver mat, and in this way, a laver-like processed food that is thin and springy can be mass-produced without wasting raw ingredients.

A system and method for thawing and/or cooking various frozen foods is provided. The system and method implement narrowband energy to execute the thawing and/or cooking process more efficiently and effectively than could be achieved in heretofore conventional techniques. In at least one form, this includes obtaining information in the thawing process that is used as feedback and control for an improved subsequent process, e.g., a cooking process.

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a laver-like processed food using onions (Allium cepa L.), and more specifically, to a method of manufacturing a laver-like processed food using onions that has excellent texture and an improved flavor, wherein, according to the method of the present invention, after onions are molded into sheets and dried, the onion sheets are prevented from sticking to a layer mat for drying and being damaged when the onion sheets are separated from the layer mat, and in this way, a laver-like processed food that is thin and springy can be mass-produced without wasting raw ingredients.

A method for crystallizing aqueous carbohydrate-containing substances, comprising: purifying the aqueous substance containing carbohydrates; mixing said aqueous substance with a water-absorbing medium; distributing the above mixture in a layer on a high temperature resistant container; heating the mixture layer of the previous step in a microwave apparatus; cooling the mixture layer; re-heating and cooling the mixture layer until it reaches a humidity of 2 to 4%; spraying the crystallized mixture-layer, removing the water-absorbing medium from the crystals obtained; and recovering said crystals. A crystallized or granular product obtained by such a crystallization method.

A method for producing dry pasta comprising the steps of: preparing with durum wheat flour, or soft wheat flour, and water a dough having humidity comprised between 25% and 35%; placing the dough in a chamber in which a vacuum is created comprised between 0.1 bar and 0.5 bar; pushing the dough through a drawing device by applying to the dough pressure comprised 80 bar and 110 bar, to obtain food pasta in the form of units of long pasta or units of short pasta; conveying and delivering said pasta to a dryer; drying said pasta in said dryer until the humidity of the pasta is not greater than 12.5%, said drying including heating said pasta in said dryer to a set temperature and maintaining the pasta at said set temperature for a set interval of time; extracting said dried pasta from said dryer;
wherein said heating is obtained by passing the pasta inside an oscillating electromagnetic field having a frequency comprised between 10 MHz and 100 MHz. An apparatus for producing dry food pasta including a kneading and drawing device configured for producing both long pasta and short pasta, a first dryer configured for drying long pasta produced by said kneading and drawing device, a second dryer configured for drying short pasta produced by said kneading and drawing device; said first dryer and said second dryer are equipped with a plurality of pairs of electrodes between which an electromagnetic field oscillating at a frequency comprised 10 MHz and 100 MHz is created by a generator of oscillating electromagnetic field.

Provided are a solid food and a solid milk which have suitable solubility and strength adequate to resist breakage during handling. The solid food is a solid food having a solid form obtained by compression molding a food powder, in which an increase in total crystallization rate that is a difference of a crystal ratio with respect to a total weight on a surface of the solid food relative to a crystal ratio in an inner part of the solid food is 0.1% by weight or less. Further, a depth from the surface of the solid food at which the increase in total crystallization rate is zero or minimal is 0.2 mm or less.

A processing apparatus is capable of efficient processing in a short time and obtaining a processed food product with exemplary quality.

The processing apparatus includes a processing unit and a pair of electrodes. The processing unit is in a tubular shape, and an accommodation space capable of accommodating a material to be processed is formed as an internal space thereof, and includes a heating unit. A heating space constituting a part of the accommodation space is formed in the heating unit. The pair of electrodes are configured to clamp the material to be processed in the heating space for joule heating, and are configured to be movable from the heating space while clamping the material to be processed.