The food processing industry uses heat transfer equipment to move heat energy from one body to another. Some examples of heat transfer equipment include: Tubular heat exchangers: These are often used to pasteurize milk and other beverages. The heat exchanging fluid is usually water or water steam. Jacketed pans: These can be used for both heating and cooling foods. Plate heat exchangers: These have been used in the dairy and food beverage industry for over 70 years. HRS Unicus: This is ideal for difficult heat transfer applications with viscous fluids or with a high risk of... Show more

The food processing industry uses heat transfer equipment to move heat energy from one body to another. Some examples of heat transfer equipment include:
Tubular heat exchangers: These are often used to pasteurize milk and other beverages. The heat exchanging fluid is usually water or water steam.
Jacketed pans: These can be used for both heating and cooling foods.
Plate heat exchangers: These have been used in the dairy and food beverage industry for over 70 years.
HRS Unicus: This is ideal for difficult heat transfer applications with viscous fluids or with a high risk of fouling. 

Other heat transfer equipment are:  Boilers, Pasteurizers, Freezers, Chillers, Coolers, Ovens, Air heaters. 

Thermal processing is an important heat transfer unit operation for food processors. It can be conducted under batch or continuous conditions. Thermal processing is mainly divided into pasteurization and commercial sterilization. 

Microwave heating has been used in food processing for decades. It has many applications, including: 
Drying, Pasteurization, Sterilization, Thawing, Tempering, Baking, Blanching, Cooking. 
 

Microwave heating has several benefits over traditional heating methods, including:
Faster: Microwave heating is faster than conventional heating, reducing processing times.
Nutrient retention: Microwave heating retains nutrients, improving product quality.
Energy efficiency: Microwave heating is more energy efficient than traditional heating methods.
Post-packaging: Microwave heating can be used after packaging, retaining moisture content.
Clean: Microwave heating is a clean process. 

Microwaves penetrate food materials, cooking the entire volume of food rapidly and uniformly. This fast heat transfer preserves nutrients, vitamins, flavor, sensory characteristics, and color. 

Dehydration is a food processing technique that removes moisture from food to preserve it for later use. It's one of the oldest methods of food preservation. 

Diffusion is a common operation in food processing. Some examples of food processes that involve diffusion include:
Liquid-liquid extraction: Used to refine vegetable oils
Caffeine extraction: Used in aqueous solutions
Drying: Used to remove water and volatile flavor and aroma compounds from liquid solutions like fruit juice, tea, and coffee
Brining and marinating: Relies on the diffusion of salt and sugar molecules into meat 

Evaporation is a common food processing technique that involves removing water from an aqueous solution. The process involves vaporization or boiling to remove water in the form of vapor.
 

Topics include: Concepts of evaporation, heat transfer equipment, microwave heating, dehydration, mass transfer and diffusion.

Related: Food Engineering Practice Test: Heat Transfer by Conduction, Convection and Radiation

Show less