Radio frequency equipment for the food industry

The first and best known application of the radio frequency (RF) technology in the food industry is the post-baking drying of biscuits, crackers, breakfast cereals, etc.

Nevertheless, in the last decade, STALAM has been introducing to the world markets many innovative food processing technologies based on the RF heating method, such as the quick defrosting of frozen fish, meat and other raw or processed food products, the pasteurisation and sterilisation of either solid packaged food or viscous liquid products in the tube, the baking of white-crust bread, the disinfestation and sanitisation of dry food commodities (grains, seeds, legumes, etc.).

Volumetric (endogenous) heating is the most attractive characteristic of the RF technology. This specific ability to generate heat at the "heart" of the product, rapidly, selectively and accurately has brought many benefits to the aforesaid processes in terms of:

- high energy efficiency and short process time, as the amount of heat required is developed directly and instantaneously inside the product, regardless of its thermal conductivity, density or size, and without any losses to the environment;

- outstanding product quality, as all drawbacks normally caused by heat transmission phenomena are totally eliminated, so the product heats up quickly and uniformly, without the typical surface degradation phenomena that normally occur in conventional processes.

Besides the RF method, STALAM has lately expanded its know-how and R&D activities into other non-conventional drying and thermal processing technologies, which also include the microwave (MW) and infrared (IR) methods.

Thanks to its diversified and thorough expertise, STALAM presently offers the widest and most advanced range of non-conventional drying and thermal processing equipment for food products, which enable their users to obtain the maximum benefits in terms of product quality, reduced operating costs, high flexibility and reliability.