Infrared imaging feels the heat in microwave ovens

The rapid rise in microwave oven ownership in the mid-1980s has led to a new application of thermal imaging – to the food industry. Food companies have become increasingly aware that the very rapid heating afforded by microwave ovens can affect the final eating quality of the food. Thermal imaging is seen as a powerful tool to quantify the temperature distribution within foods and thus provide a way of designing foods specifically to be micro-waved.