Changes in quality of microwave-treated agricultural products—a review

Conventional heating or drying involves exposure of food and agricultural products such as grains, fruits, vegetables to high temperature and for long times, which can result in serious damage to flavour, colour and nutrients of the treated material. In recent years, microwave drying has gained popularity as an alternative drying method for a wide variety of food and agricultural products. The food industry is now a major user of microwave energy, especially in the drying of pasta and post-baking of biscuits. Microwave treatment can greatly reduce the drying time of the biological products without quality degradation. The principle of microwave heating and drying, experimental results of quality characteristics of microwave-treated grains, fruits and vegetables, and the drawbacks of microwave heat treatment are described.