Apparatus and method for pasteurizing food products and ready meals in hermetically sealed packages (22) by means of microwaves, comprising a microwave chamber (14); a lower conveyor belt (20) for the packages (22); an upper conveyor belt (18), extending substantially horizontally and vertically movable, and a microwave source (16) located below the lower conveyor belt (20), the microwave chamber (14) being under atmospheric ambient pressure. The apparatus comprises a cooling plate (10) in close contact with the upper conveyor belt (18) so that during microwave heating the top of the package (22) is cooled to below the condensation point of water vapor and overpressure in the package is avoided.

The present invention relates to a processing apparatus, in which a substance is preferably heated, cooked, dried, disinfected and/or pasteurized, sterilized. The present invention further relates to a method to treat a substance with radio-frequency waves.

A process for manufacturing dry sausage. The process includes preparing a dry sausage meat mixture, stuffing the mixture into a casing or mould, fermenting the mixture, heat treating the mixture, cooling the mixture to a temperature sufficiently low to permit slicing, slicing the sausage, placing the sausage onto a conveyor, and passing the conveyor and sausage through a chamber. The process also includes introducing a supply of conditioned air into the chamber, the air having a relative humidity below about 60% and a temperature in the range of at least about 40 F. to 130 F., and introducing a supply of microwaves into the chamber. The air supply and microwaves are selected to reduce the moisture content of the meat to a predetermined moisture to protein ratio.

Provided herein are a microwave retort system and a process for heating food products using a microwave retort system, such as to pasteurization and/or sterilization temperatures. Food product formulated for treatment in microwave retort processes are also provided. In one aspect, the microwave retort system includes a microwave zone having one or more microwave temperature sections in which a liquid medium is maintained at a temperature below sterilization temperatures during the microwaving process. The processes and systems described herein heat the products to pasteurization or sterilization temperatures while preventing the products, including outer surfaces, reaching a temperature greater than 135 F. The microwave retort processes and systems advantageously provide products with the taste and organoleptic properties equivalent to or nearly equivalent to an otherwise identical freshly prepared product and significantly better than otherwise identical food products that have undergone a conventional immersion or saturated steam retort process.

Methods and apparatuses for thermally treating flowable materials using electromagnetic radiation, and foods and materials obtained thereby. Also provided are methods of continuous flow thermal treatment of biomaterials, apparatuses for performing the same, and products prepared using the methods and/or apparatuses.

A process for manufacturing dry sausage. The process includes preparing a dry sausage meat mixture, stuffing the mixture into a casing or mold, fermenting the mixture, heat treating the mixture, cooling the mixture to a temperature sufficiently low to permit slicing, slicing the sausage, placing the sausage onto a conveyor, and passing the conveyor and sausage through a chamber. The process also includes introducing a supply of conditioned air into the chamber, the air having a relative humidity below about 60% and a temperature in the range of at least about 40 F. to 130 F., and introducing a supply of microwaves into the chamber. The air supply and microwaves are selected to reduce the moisture content of the meat to a predetermined moisture to protein ratio.

An electromagnetic system includes a channel and at least one chamber comprising a first end and a second end. The channel traverses at least a portion of a longitudinal length of the at least one chamber, whereby the channel enters the chamber at the first end and exits the chamber at the second end. The channel includes an internal cavity for allowing materials to flow therein and be exposed to electromagnetic energy. In one embodiment, the chamber is designed so that the materials in the channel is exposed to lower electromagnetic energy at the first end of the chamber and exposed to a higher electromagnetic energy at the second end of the chamber.

Modular systems and related methods for thermally treating flowable materials using microwave radiation, and materials obtained thereby. Also provided are modular devices for continuous flow thermal treatment of materials, methods employing the same, and products prepared using the devices and/or methods.

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.

A microwave heating system configured to heat a plurality of articles is provided. The microwave heating system includes a microwave splitter, a pair of microwave launchers, and at least one inductive iris disposed between the splitter and the launch opening of one of the launchers. A microwave launcher suitable for use in such a heating system is also provided. The launcher includes an inductive iris disposed within the interior of the launcher, spaced between its inlet and outlet and obstructing at least a portion of the microwave pathway.