US 2017/0245528 A1 · A Microwave Retort System, A Process For Heating Food Products Using A Microwave Retort System, And Food Products Formulated For Microwave Retort

Abstract

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.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A process for pasteurizing or sterilizing a packaged food product using microwave energy, the method comprising

preheating a packaged food product to a temperature of about 50° C. to about 80° C.;
conveying the packaged food product to a microwave zone comprising a first temperature section and at least a second temperature section;
in the first temperature zone, immersing the packaged food product in a liquid medium having a temperature of about 20° C. to about 110° C. and applying microwave energy to the food product for a first period of time;
conveying the packaged food product from the first microwave temperature section to a second microwave temperature section, wherein a liquid medium in the second temperature section has a higher temperature than the liquid medium of the first temperature section, and applying microwave energy to the food product for a second period of time;
conveying the packaged food product having microwave energy applied for at least a first and second period of time to a holding zone which includes a liquid medium at a temperature of about 115° C. to about 135° C.;
and
conveying the packaged food product from the holding zone to a cooling zone.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

A Microwave Retort System, A Process For Heating Food Products Using A Microwave Retort System, And Food Products Formulated For Microwave Retort

Life of this patent

A Microwave Retort System, A Process For Heating Food Products Using A Microwave Retort System, And Food Products Formulated For Microwave Retort

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19