OPTIMIZATION OFMICROWAVE DRYING FOR FOODS

Optimization opens up the possibility of achieving the best case among the possible alternatives. The formal description of any optimization problem has three parts: set of variables, set of requirements and measure of performance (to compare). Two important factors which must be optimized in microwave drying are power output and temperature distribution inside the sample. Also, sample dimension and heating time should be optimized to prevent overheating and under-heating during microwave drying of foods. RSM simplicity, ease of application, and wide acceptability has made this method one of the most utilized ones in food drying optimization applications. In Neural Networks system, the networks .learn. the behavior of a system when supplied with sets of data made of input and output values. The quadratic model can be used to predict a point of optimum (minimum or maximum), and thus, the optimum conditions of drying processes.