Processing & Preservation

Microwave processing

Heating or cooking food using microwave energy, which makes water molecules inside the food vibrate and generate heat quickly from within.

Real-life application

Reheating leftover dal or rice in a microwave oven at home works on the same basic principle used in some industrial food processing.

Related terms

Pasteurisation

Processing & Preservation

A mild heat treatment that destroys vegetative pathogens and reduces spoilage organisms, without eliminating spores. Milk: LTLT 63 °C for 30 min, or HTST 72 °C for 15 s.

Blanching

Processing & Preservation

A short heat treatment, usually 70–100 °C, applied before freezing, drying or canning, primarily to inactivate enzymes.

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