Introduction

Consumers are looking for higher quality products with enhanced qualities, such as foods with fresh-like characteristics, fewer additives, improved sensorial and nutritional quality, as well as foods that are affordable at a reasonable cost. Use of microwave technology is undergoing an evaluation process by the USDA to authorize and standardize this process as an official food process for sterilization of foods. The advantage of using this technology for processing products is the way in which the heat is generated inside the food. In food processing, the main applications of radio frequency are for drying and heating, and the largest use of radio frequency is in the post bake-drying of some baked goods. Some nonthermal technologies that are under research include high pressure sterilization, pulsed electric fields, ultrasound, ultraviolet, irradiation, cold plasma, dense phase carbon dioxide, ozone, and some chemicals.