Food Microwave Expansion EquipmentIntroduction

Microwave heating speeds up the process, causing the internal gas (air) of the material to rise sharply in temperature. Due to slow mass transfer rates, the heated gas remains under pressure and has an inclination to expand. When the pressure reaches a certain point, the material undergoes expansion. Materials with high moisture content experience significant evaporation during the initial drying phase, leading to a decrease in surface temperature and poor expansion effects. When moisture content drops below 20%, the increased viscosity of the material makes it difficult for water and air to escape from the internal voids, leading to a蓄积待发 state. This results in excellent expansion effects.

Many factors affect the puffing effect of materials. In terms of the material itself, those with loose tissue and high fiber content are not easy to puff. However, materials with high protein, high starch, high cellularity, or high pectin, due to the "ripening" of these chemical components after heating, have good film-forming properties, can encapsulate gases, and after drying, the puffed state can be stabilized to produce excellent puff products. A food formula primarily using amylopectin as the main ingredient, supplemented with protein and electrolytes like salt, can achieve ideal puffing effects. The microwave heating process, combined with methods to reduce the system pressure, can process puff products.