Radio frequency dryer WAVEDRY+

in-linefor the food industrycooking

RF dryers have proven to be very effective when fitted after the baking ovens to control the product moisture content accurately and uniformly, with added benefits to productivity and quality. The radio frequency energy eliminates the excess moisture from the product rapidly and efficiently, without causing over-baking (excessive browning) of the surface. Removing the final excess moisture from a baked product is a challenging task: the conventional oven finds it hard to transfer heat to the centre without the risk of over-colouring, which will result in a dark and out of specification product. Over-baking (browning) has also been recognised as one of the causes of Acrylamide formation, a suspected carcinogenic substance formed during cooking, baking and frying of carbohydrate-rich food products. Last but not least, the moisture differential between the centre and the crust will generate tensions within the product, during and after cooling, that may cause the so-called “checking” phenomenon, i.e. cracks and fractures that appear in the product even without any mechanical solicitation. The RF electromagnetic field, due to its ability to transfer energy to the product volumetrically and selectively according to the moisture location, will overcome the low thermal conductivity and the crust heat barrier and directly dry the (wetter) centre of the product without affecting the desired colour. Radio frequency post baking drying allows to eliminate the excess moisture from the product rapidly and efficiently, without causing over-baking (excessive browning) of the surface, with added benefits to productivity and quality.