Characterization of Microbial Inactivation by Microwave Heating

Heating processes are paramount means for preventing food-borne illnesses. For conventional heating, time and temperature recommendations are given to improve food safety. These recommendations are based on two key-parameters: D- and z-values. With the aim of saving time and energy, microwave technologies are particularly interesting for cooking or decontaminating foods. However, the D- and z-values are not appropriate for such treatments because the heating temperature is not constant. New parameters based on the specific power are proposed to characterize this heating process (Dp- and zp-values). In this chapter, microwave heating and its impacts on microorganisms are described. An outline on thermobacteriology in food processing is reported, followed by a presentation of the methodology used for determining the Dp- and zp-values. Finally, the application of Dp- and zp-values for sterilization, pasteurization, and cooking operations using microwave technology is presented.