Ohmic Heating of Foods: Basic Understanding

This video presents the basic understanding of Ohmic heating of foods. Ohmic heating is a process when an alternating electric current is passed through a food material, and then heat is internally generated within a material due to its resistance to applied electric current. It is also considers as novel or innovative method of food preservation. First, Ohm’s law is explained and then its analogy to the Ohmic heating of foods is presented. Food is placed in a cylindrical tube, which has two electrodes at the ends and we can complete the electric circuit with a power supply connected to the electrodes. Then we apply a voltage causing flow of current through the food, and this can generate heat uniformly within the food matrix. Therefore, in this system we have applied the principle of Ohmic heating of foods. Finally basic calculations of heat generation and temperature rise on an applied voltage are presented considering selected sample calculations.