New experimental set-up for testing microwave technology to continuously heat fouling-sensitive food products like milk concentrates

Microwave heating is an emerging alternative direct heating method to face deposit and particle formation upon heating fouling-sensitive food products. This study successfully demonstrated the implementation of a new set-up for continuous microwave heating at pilot scale (f = 2450 MHz, P = 0.6–6 kW). Reconstituted skim milk concentrate (DM = 27, 31.5 and 36 g/100 g) was heated (110–125 °C, 5 s holding time) through microwave technology and with a tubular heat exchanger in order to examine heat-related product changes and compare both technologies.