Status of Physics‐Based Models in the Design of Food Products, Processes, and Equipment

Abstract

This article is part of a collection entitled "Models for Safety, Quality, and Competitiveness of the Food Processing Sector," published in Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety. It has been peer-reviewed and was written as a follow-up of a pre-IFT workshop, partially funded by the USDA NRI grant 2005-35503-16208.ABSTRACT: Modeling, in particular physics-based modeling, can be an important tool to food product, process, and equipment designers by reducing the amount of experimentation (thus reducing the time and expenses involved) and by providing a level of insight that is often not possible experimentally. Food processes involve unique physics and challenges compared to other types of materials processing such as polymers and ceramics. These include complex multiphase transport and multiphysics that are difficult to implement in the available software, and often drastic changes in material properties during processing for which data are unavailable. Such unique and challenging features have made it difficult to embrace modeling as a tool in the food industry. This article discusses, in the context of design use of models, the nature and the state of modeling of food processes, emphasizing the more complex scenarios in both modeling and material properties needed for the models.

Food Quality Evaluation using Model Foods: a Comparison Study between Microwave-Assisted and Conventional Thermal Pasteurization Processes

“…However, optimization of newer thermal processing technologies, such as microwave heating, is more challenging because it requires more sophisticated mathematical models and computer simulations with more complicated heating patterns that can be difficult to validate (Tang 2015;Datta 2008). This type of complex simulation and numerical modeling for microwave heating systems was not even possible until the late 1980s; now calculation intensive models are possible because of advances in computer technology and increased computing power (Datta and Anantheswaran 2001;Chandrasekaran et al 2013).…”

Stochastic modelling for virtual engineering of controlled atmosphere storage of fruit

“…Mathematical modeling serves to improve our understanding of the phenomena, and, more importantly, for designing and optimizing food processes (Datta, 2008;Feyissa et al, 2012;Ho et al, 2013;Perrot et al, 2011;Torrez Irigoyen et al, 2014) in a virtual way by simulation. As we demonstrated here for controlled atmosphere storage of pear fruit, such an approach must account for the complex and variable structure, shape, size and physiological properties of the food through stochastic simulation techniques (Hertog et al, 2007;Rogge et al, 2013;Scheerlinck et al, 2001;Serment-Moreno et al, 2015).…”

Challenges and opportunities in food engineering: Modeling, virtualization, open innovation and social responsibility

“…Moreover, changes in formulation and/or the conditions under which the RSM was derived are not possible. It has been previously indicated that physics-based modeling can be an important tool for food product, process, and equipment designers by reducing the amount of experimentation and providing a level of insight that is often not achievable experimentally (Datta, 2008). Hence, RSM should probably be restricted to a handful of practical and limited cases.…”