Radio Frequency Processing of Food Products: Heating Uniformity and Food Quality

Heat treatment was a common practice in food processing to mitigate losses caused by fungi, foodborne pathogens, insects, and undesirable enzymes, while ensuring microbial safety and avoiding chemical residues - a significant concern for the food industry. Among these measures, radiofrequency (RF) food processing emerged as a promising alternative to traditional heating technologies, offering rapid, volumetric, and deep penetration heating capabilities. However, a notable drawback of RF heating was its uneven heat distribution, resulting in hot and cold spots within the product, potentially impacting treatment efficiency and food quality. This review provided comprehensive information about the principles of RF technology, the causes of uneven heating, factors influencing the non-uniformity, and specific improvement measures in food processing. It explored how these measures synergized with RF heating and their impact on thermal processing outcomes and food quality stability. Future strategies to further widen their applications in RF drying, pasteurization, and thawing were highlighted.