Prospects for the application of dielectric heating processes in the pre-treatment of oilseeds

Abstract

In some branches of industry dielectric heating processes are used in a wide range of different applications like drying of agricultural products and textiles or disinfection processes in the food processing and pharmaceutical industry. This report shows potential uses of this technology for thermal pre‐treatment of oilseeds. Therefore, the basic principles of the dielectric heating mechanism and some resulting characteristics are presented in comparison to conventional heating systems. Special aspects of the application of microwaves and high‐frequency energy for thermal pre‐treatment of oilseeds are also presented. Finally, some scenarios for imaginable applications of this technology in the European oil milling industry are discussed.