2008 Program

Thursday, July 9

8:45 a.m. Welcome

9:00 a.m. Keynote Presentation
A major factor in the delivery of safe, high quality microwave heated food is to ensure that products achieve an adequate time-temperature regime, without degradation by overheating. The development of such regimes requires a structured approach to developing microwave heating instructions and a real understanding of the performance of microwave ovens and the way in which food heats within them. Important factors that can affect microwave oven performance and the microwave power delivered to the food include:

• The need to standardise microwave power output measurement
• The variability of microwave power output with size of the food load
• The influence of electrical supply voltage on measured microwave power output
• How microwave power output reduces with oven operating time

A common problem with microwave oven heated foods can be poor uniformity of heating and the formation of hot and cold spots within the food. The uneven heating of foods within the microwave oven can be influenced by:

• Non-uniform distribution of dipolar molecules and ionic materials within the food.
• Differences in microwave absorption at frozen/thawed areas.
• The effects of food product/package geometry
• Areas of high and low microwave field strength within the oven cavity
• Different thermal properties for food component.

Appropriate microwave food product design can help reduce the extent of non-uniform heating in the microwave oven. Packaging can also have a major role to play in optimising foods for microwave heating. Both of these aspects will be discussed in this presentation.

Martin George is a Chartered Physicist and has led the microwave research, consultancy and training activities at the Campden and Chorleywood Food Research Association since 1990. His areas of expertise include microwave and dielectric heating, sensor systems for process control and automation, chilling and freezing technologies, and foreign body detection systems. He also manages the NPD and microwave services sections at CCFRA, which provides R&D, consultancy and training on a wide range of projects for food manufacturers, retailers and regulatory authorities. As a recognised specialist in these areas, Martin has written many publications and presented at many conferences. In the field of microwave heating, Martin is a member of the UK Microwave Technologies Association and the British Standards Committee on microwave ovens.

10:15 a.m. Fiber Optic Sensor Technology Overview
Presented by Neoptix

10:45 a.m. Recent Advances in Fiber Optic Sensors for Assessing Food Quality in Production Ovens
Elfed Lewis, PhD, University of Limerick, Ireland
Learn about the use of fiber optic sensors for measuring food quality in conventional ovens, even in the presence of microwave energy. Optical Fibers are ideally suited for this application as the microwave radiation does not interfere with the signal to be measured. A method is also presented for accurate classification of the spectral data for use in the food processing industry for monitoring food products as they are cooked in large scale continuous and microwave ovens. Results are also reported for a wide range of food products which have been cooked in the full scale industrial oven.

11:30 a.m. Infrared Imaging Technologies
presented by Fluke Technologies

12:00 p.m. Technical Design of Domestic Microwave Ovens
Derrick D. Little, GE Consumer and Industrial, USA
Discover the latest innovations in domestic ovens, as well as standard designs throughout the domestic oven lines. Learn abut the specifications and how they are obtained by manufacturers, engineering test procedures, reliability requirements, and evaluation plans for the products that utilize microwaves and other forms of cooking.

12:30 p.m. Luncheon

1:30 p.m. Exhibits and Poster Session Opens

1:45 p.m. Technical Session I: Food Technology

• Aspergillus flavus, A. Niger, A. Ochraceus and A. Parasiticus Inhibition by Microwave Heating at Selected Water Activities
  G. Cruz-Guerrero, M. Sosa-Morales and A. Lopez-Malo, Universidad de las Americas, Mexico
• Listeria innocua Inhibition During Microwave Heating of Fresh Cheeses from Cow's Milk and Goat's Milk
  Díaz-Escobar, G.E., Sosa-Morales, M.E.& López-Malo, A., Universidad de las Américas, Mexico
• Method, Measurement and Metric for Microwave Food Package Instruction Safety
  S. Drucker and R. Schaffel, Microwave Science JV LLC, USA
• Sterilization of Salmon with Alfredo Sauce Packaged in Polymeric Trays Using Microwave Energy Combined with Hot Water
  F. Liu, Z. Tang, G. Mikhaylenko, H-J. Chung, J. Tang and R. Pandit, Washington State University, USA
• Temperature-controlled Microwave Heating for In-package Pasteurization of Beef Frankfurters to Eliminate Listeria Monocytogenes
  L. Huang, USDA ARS ERRC, USA
  

3:30 p.m. Technical Session II: Food Technology

• A New View of the Magnetron: Implications for Assessment o Field Failures in Microwave Power Systems
  J. M. Osepchuk, Full Spectrum Consulting, Concord, MA USA
• An Analysis of the Microwave Dielectric Properties of Oil-Solvent Mixtures at 300 to 3000 MHz
  B. Terigar, D. Boldor and C. Sabliov, LSU, USA
• Ceramic Composites for Microwave Grilling and Speed Cooking
  T. E. Quantrille, Advanced Composite Materials, LLC, USA
• Computer simulation of radio frequency heating of wheat flour
  G. Tiwari, S. Wang and J. Tang, Washington State University, USA
• Online Monitoring of Microwave Plasma UV lamp and Ozone Generation System using Optical Fibre Sensors in Food Applications
  S. O'Keeffe, M.Ortoneda, J.D. Cullen, A. Shaw, C. Fitzpatrick, E. Lewis, D.A. Phipps, A.I. Al-Shamma'a, Liverpool John Moores Univ., UK; University of Limerick, Ireland

6:00 p.m. Exhibits Close for Evening

6:30 p.m. Dinner and Jazz Cruise (Optional)

Friday, June 27

9:00 a.m. Microwave Oven and Food Compatibility: Historical Background and Future Possibilities
Per O. Risman, Microtrans AB, Sweden
International attempts by the IEC and national attempts to test and classify the performance of microwave ovens are described from today's perspective of dominance of convenience foods. The sources of uneven heating are both in the ovens and foods, and are today distinguishable by advances in theory and modeling. Food industry problems with ovens include the durability of the ovens (they last for many years), the variability in performance between models and the low correlation between price and performance. Food industry has to include poorly performing ovens in their development, which limits the possibilities of giving customers good products for good ovens. In addition, food safety concerns are now, as before, a driving force behind attempts to classify ovens. But can this succeed?

Per O. Risman received his MSEE from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden. In 1979 he founded his consulting company, Microtrans AB. Major clients include Phillips, Whirlpool and Personal Chemistry (now Biotage). He has served as the Swedish representative and expert in international microwave safety standardization and chairman of the Swedish and international IEC committees for microwave oven safety testing and performance measurements. Per Risman has published more than 25 scientific papers, 25 articles in professional and trade journals and two best paper awards from publications. He is the inventor of more than 50 patent families, mainly on microwave applicators, processes and safety systems. He was elected as an IMPI Fellow in 1990.

9:30 a.m. Continuous Flow Mw Sterilization of Low-Acid Foods: Tools and Techniques for Process Design and Validation
Josip Simunovic, PhD, North Carolina State University
Continuous flow microwave heating has been available in various configurations for several decades. Introduction of cylindrical microwave heaters to the market has increased the interest of the food industry in this rapid method of heating of a variety of foods and biomaterials. In order to commercially implement this technology for sterilization of low acid foods; numerous devices, tools and techniques were developed over a period of more than 10 years, enabling appropriate process design and validation for homogeneous and multiphase (particulate) food products. The presentation will review some of the hurdles and issues encountered during that period, implemented solutions, progress to commercialization and current state of technology for sterilization of low acid vegetable purees and particle-containing products.

Josip is a Senior Researcher at North Carolina State University Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences and Assistant Director of the NCSU site of the Center for Advanced Processing and Packaging Studies. Dr. Simunovic was born in Osijek, Croatia and received his B.S. degree in Food Technology from Josip Juraj Strossmeyer University, M.S. in Food Science and Human Nutrition from the University of Florida; and a Ph.D. in Food Science from North Carolina State University in Raleigh. He has gained national and international recognition as one of the leading researchers on advanced thermal processing of foods. His research with continuous flow microwave heating technology has led to the first commercial implementation of a continuous flow microwave sterilization process to produce shelf-stable low-acid foods. As a co-inventor, he has received 10 US Patents for these technologies and is a co-founder and President of UltrAseptics Inc., a company dedicated to their commercialization, located in Research Triangle Park, NC.

10:00 a.m. RF Heating in Food Applications
Tony Koral, Strayfield, USA
Radio Frequency Heating and Drying has been utilised in the food industry since the 1950's. Until recently, with the exception of a number of enthusiastic companies who were quick to recognise and exploit the benefits of their production quality and costs, the value of this technology has been largely overlooked by most food processing companies. Increasing energy costs, together with a drive for 'greener' and more energy efficient technology have heralded a recent resurgence in the use of RF for Drying and other RF thermal treatment processes. This session will shed some light on the reasons for the previous lack of enthusiasm for RF heating and drying, and demonstrate some of the applications and benefits which are now being obtained.

Tony Koral holds BS in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Hatfield Polytechnic and MBA from University of Durham. He is a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the UK Institution of Electrical Engineers. He worked at English Electric Valve Company (part of the UK General Electric Company) as Electrical Engineer prior to joining Strayfield Ltd in 1979. At Strayfield, he has held positions of Commissioning and Applications Engineer, Engineering Manager, and Chief Engineer. In 1992, he was appointed Technical Director of the Company and has held the post of General Manager for the last 3 years. Strayfield is the largest company in the world manufacturing industrial RF heating equipment. Recently the company has also moved into the Induction Heating market and now offers a range of heaters for Metal Forging and other similar applications.

10:45 a.m. Microbial Inactivation During Microwave Cooking
Michael Davidson, Ph.D., University of Tennessee, USA
Several factors influence penetration of microwaves into foods and consequently the resultant heating rate and heat distribution within a food. These include ionic content, moisture, microwave frequency, product parameters, specific heat and equipment. In comparison to conventional heating, microwave heating is highly variable which may lead to survival of foodborne pathogens in foods even though a measured internal endpoint temperature would indicate a process was lethal to a population. In thermal process development for microwave-heated foods, biological validation is extremely important. As the precise cold spot is unknown and can actually change during heating, test microorganisms must be distributed homogeneously throughout the product before evaluating a process.

Dr. Michael Davidson, a microbiologist who specializes in food safety – specifically the study of antimicrobials to combat well-known bacterial pathogens such as E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, and Listeria. Davidson holds a Ph.D. in food science and technology from Washington State University, an M.S. in food science and human nutrition from the University of Minnesota, and a B.S. in bacteriology from the University of Idaho. He is a fellow in both the American Academy of Microbiology and the Institute of Food Technologists. He has served on the editorial boards of numerous peer-reviewed scientific publications and is currently scientific co-editor of the Journal of Food Protection. He is also the recipient of awards for teaching and service to professional societies.

11:15 a.m. The Frozen Food Industry Labeling Initiative
Robert Garfield, American Frozen Foods Institute, USA
The American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) represents frozen food processors and the suppliers to the industry. Nine months ago the Institute completed guidance for consumers, "Cooking with Microwave Ovens, Nutrition and Food Safety Considerations," that provides a brief review of microwave cooking and present ways in which consumers can prepare nutritious meals using a microwave oven. More recently AFFI, in conjunction with its members and other associations developed package labeling guidance for microwavable foods to assist food processors to offer clear and comprehensive labeling information given numerous variables in microwave ovens.

Robert L. Garfield is Sr. Vice President of Public Policy and International Affairs for the American Frozen Foods Institute (AFFI). In that capacity, he is responsible for addressing legislation and assisting the frozen food industry to implement policies which result from the promulgation of rules by Federal agencies. He is currently chairman of the Food Industry Environmental Council (FIEC), the Alliance for Listeriosis Prevention and the Current Good Manufacturing Coalition (CGMP). He also serves on numerous inter-food industry coalitions and committees. Robert has been a Washington advocate on behalf of the food industry for 21 years. Before taking a job in Washington, Robert spent ten years in the food industry as a plant and production manager, first for United Vinters, Darylea, Inc. and Richfood. He received a BA from University of Cincinnati and MS in Agriculture from California State University.

11:45 a.m. Microwave Packaging Technology
Sara Risch, Consultant, USA
The packaging that is used for foods to be cooked in the microwave has to be designed to serve a number of different purposes, using a variety of technologies. Passive packaging simply contains the food during heating, but still has a number of considerations including material selection, package size and shape as well as attributes that can contribute to consumer convenience. Active or susceptor packaging is used for to brown, crisp and pop microwave popcorn. Metalized film is stabilized on another substrate and heats in the microwave field to provide the energy needed to achieve optimal results. This session will provide an overview of the considerations and technologies for microwave packaging.

Sara Risch is a professor at Michigan State University. She was Director of the School of Packaging from 2004 to 2006. Prior to joining Michigan State, Sara had her own consulting business where she worked with food, flavor and packaging companies on product-package compatibility as well as new product development. She also spent five years as Director of R&D for Golden Valley Microwave Foods (now part of ConAgra Snack Foods). She is active in the American Chemical Society and is currently a Councilor for the Agricultural and Food Chemistry Division and vice-chair of the Committee on Nominations and Elections. Sara received her B.S and Ph.D. in Food Science from the University of Minnesota. She received a MS in Food Science from the University of Georgia.

12:15 p.m. Awards Luncheon

1:30 p.m. IMPI Business Meeting

2:00 p.m. Final Exhibition and Poster Sessions begin

2:00 p.m. Technical Session III: Materials Processing & Chemistry

• Air Heating System Utilizing Microwave Susceptor Ceramic Materials
  D. Iordache and D. Niculae, Energy Research and Modernising Institute, ICEMENERG., Bucharest, Romania
• Effects of Rapid Rise of Temperature from a Microwave Curing Process on Selected Mechanical Properties of Carbon Fiber Composite Specimens
  B. Balzer, J. McNabb and T. Mensah, Indiana State University, USA
• A Novel Microwave Continuous Chemical Reactor with Temperature Control Using LabView
  G. Lewis, S. Wylie, A. Shaw, A.I. Al-Shamma'a, L. Paquin, J-P. Bazureau, Liverpool John Moores University, UK
• Chemical Reactions with a Novel 5.8-GHz Microwave Apparatus
  S. Horikoshi, Sophia University, Japan
• Microwave Treatment of Naphthenic Acids in Water
  S. Mishra, V. Meda, A. Dalai, K. Peru, D. McMartin, and J. Headley, University of Saskatchewan, Canada
• Monitoring and Control System for Tuneable High Frequency Microwave Assisted Chemistry
  G.P. Lewis, S.R. Wylie, A. Shaw, A.I. Al-Shamma'a, G. Bond, Liverpool John Moores University, University of Central Lancashire, UK
• Online Monitoring of Microwave Plasma UV lamp and Ozone Generation System using Optical Fibre Sensors in Food Applications
  S. O'Keeffe, M.Ortoneda, J.D. Cullen, A. Shaw, C. Fitzpatrick, E. Lewis, D.A. Phipps, A.I. Al-Shamma'a
  Liverpool John Moores Univ., UK; University of Limerick, Ireland
  

3:00 p.m. Exhibitors Farewell Reception

4:00 p.m. Symposium Ends

2008 POSTER PRESENTATIONS:

• A Microwave Plasma System for the Treatment of Vehicle Exhaust Emissions
  L. E. Cordova-Lopez, S.R. Wylie, G.P. Lewis and A I Al-Shamma'a, Liverpool John Moores Univ., UK
• An Analysis of Electrical Efficiency in a Continuous-Flow Focused Cavity Microwave System
  D. Boldor, J. Ortego, C. Arauz, S. Balasubramanian, C.M. Sabliov, Louisiana State University, USA
• Effect of Thawing Temperatures and Times on the Quality of Microwave-vacuum Dried Cherries
  A. Opoku, V. Meda and B. Bors, Agric & Biore Eng, University of Saskatchewan, Canada
• Microwave Sterilization of Mashed Potato in Polymeric Trays
  Z. Tang, F. Liu, G. Mikhaylenko, J. Tang, R. Pandit and W. Lu, Washington State University, USA
• Microwave-Assisted Oil Extraction from Soybeans and Rice Bran
  A. Kanitkar, D. Boldor, S. Balasubramanian, C.M. Sabliov, Louisiana State University, USA
• Radiofrequency Heating as a Potential Post-harvest Treatment of Mangos
  M.E. Sosa-Morales, G. Tiwari, S. Wang, J. Tang, A. Lopez-Malo and H.S. Garcia
  Washington State University, USA, Universidad de las Americas, Mexico
• Soybean and Rice Bran Oil Extraction Efficiency in a Low Cost Continuous Microwave System
  B. Terigar, D. Boldor, S. Balasubramanian and C.M. Sabliov
  Louisiana State University, USA
• UV-C light and Ozone Utilisation in Food Processing with Online Monitoring Using an Optical Fibre Sensor System
  M.Ortoneda, S. O'Keeffe, J.D. Cullen, C. Fitzpatrick, E. Lewis, D.A. Phipps, and A.I. Al-Shamma'a
  Liverpool John Moores University, UK and University of Limerick, Ireland