Development of a model food for microwave processing and the prediction of its physical properties.

Although microwave processes in the food industry such as microwave pasteurisation or microwave drying are already in use, most of their optimisation is still based on trial-and-error. To model these processes, knowledge of different physical properties of the food material is indispensable. In order to guarantee constant product properties a model food was developed imitating real food properties and showing physical and microbial stability over several months. In this manuscript the prediction of these physical properties and the comparison of the model food with a real food will be shown.