Ferrite Microwave Technologies (FMT) offers a wide range of microwave systems for heating of slurries, purées, sauces, and other pumpable foods. By utilizing our in-line microwave thermal heating technology, your food, beverage, or biomaterial will exhibit improved retention characteristics of quality, color, taste, texture, and nutrients.
FMT’s merger with Industrial Microwave Systems (IMS) expanded our capabilities into cylindrical heating systems. IMS systems employ microwave technology and features a unique, ultra-rapid method of heating aseptic and extended shelf life pumpable food products and biomaterials. These systems operate on a continuous flow basis. The heating system pumps foods such as slurries, purées, and sauces through heating tubes manufactured from food-grade materials.
Heating Systems for Slurries, Purées & Sauces
IMS CHS technology is in use for thermal processing of over sixty food products, including:
- Cheese sauces
- Coffee-based drinks
- Dairy-based foods
- Dairy-based desserts
- Fruit purées
- Particulate soups
- Pasta sauces
- Poultry emulsions
- Salsa
- Smoothies
- Soy milk
- Surimi
- Tomato-based products
- Vegetable purées
Award Winning Microwave Technology
IMS received the a Food Technology Industrial Achievement Award following an extensive period of collaboration with USDA and Department of Food Science researchers based at North Carolina State University. This is awarded annually by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), a nonprofit international society with 20,000 members working in food science, technology and related professions. It honors a company or organization for an outstanding development representing a significant advancement in the application of food science and technology to food production.
IMS received this award for the following reasons:
- The team was recognized for its development of a process for continuous flow microwave sterilization of low-acid foods and biomaterials using the IMS Cylindrical Heating System. This collaboration of university, government, and industry researchers resulted in an innovative processing technique to address the shortcomings of conventional methods of food preservation for low-acid, shelf-stable foods.
- Through the use of continuous-flow microwave sterilization, processors are able to provide high throughput of aseptically processed shelf-stable low-acid foods. These foods have minimal loss in quality and nutritional value when compared to product processed by conventional thermal methods.
- The first commercial process to adopt this innovative technology involved aseptic processing and packaging of sweet potato purée. The process filing received a letter of no-objection from the FDA. IMS is the first designer and manufacturer of continuous microwave processing equipment to meet FDA validation requirements for such products.
- IFT recognized the accomplishment that the team made to advance the food science industry. It helped ensure safe, affordable, and nutritious foods to the world.
USDA Award
IMS also received a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Services Technology Transfer Award. In addition to many of the above, IMS received this award for the following reasons:
- Use of IMS equipment and technology allowed farmers in North Carolina to process and add value to a crop that had previously been ploughed back into the land or sold as animal food.
- As much as 45% of the annual harvest in the State of North Carolina would not meet the standard for retail sales of freshly harvested sweet potatoes and was effectively discarded. The IMS CHS enabled farmers to virtually eliminate this wastage, and turn a cost into a profit.
To learn more about FMT & IMS food technology and slurries, purées, and sauces microwave systems – please contact our support team. We look forward to devleoping a solution based on your process, product, and application.
