Wireless sensors inside prepackaged food can track temperature and pressure during microwave heating. This aims to support food safety and limit recontamination, offering a reliable alternative to retort processing, where food is sterilized inside sealed containers. Sensor shape and position may disturb how microwave energy spreads. Researchers from GEPEA–Oniris and CTCPA simulated this in COMSOL Multiphysics, using its RF Module, with mashed potato in a polypropylene tray and a shielded sensor.
Key findings:
- Aligning the shield with microwave travel direction gave reflection similar to having no sensor.
- Placing it in the transverse electric plane reduced reflected power.
- Measurements agreed with simulations.
Understanding this interaction aims to help engineers place sensors without disturbing microwave heating.
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