Bacterial Infection. Bacteria thrive in temperate, hot and cold environments. Infrared heat from microwaves has been commonly used to cook and reheat foods of animal origin such as meats, seafood, eggs and poultry that may harbor bacteria which may survive the cooking process, increasing the risk of food-borne illness.
Is it safe to cook with infrared? The current research on infrared radiation is that it is not powerful enough to alter the molecular structure of food cooked using it as a heat source, and its food results are safe for human use and consumption.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has indicated that infrared radiation can be used in food processing, which is non-ionizing.
Near IR can be harmful to the eyes because it penetrates as far as the cornea (Voke, 1999). Uncontrolled, frequent, or long-term exposure to Near Infrared can also cause thermal burns and ageing effects such as “Bakers Arms” or “Glassblowers Face” (Cho & others, 2009).
Lack of Awareness and Understanding: One of the main reasons why infrared heating isn't widely used in housing is simply due to a lack of awareness. Many homeowners are unfamiliar with the concept of infrared heating and how it differs from traditional systems like radiators or central heating.
IR-A radiation with its excessive heat can cause irreversible damage (such as burns) to the retina and cloud the lens, which can lead to a cataract (also known as glassblower's cataract or infrared cataract). IR-B radiation can damage the blood vessels down to the fatty tissue.
Infrared heating has the distinct advantage of cooking food products in a shorter processing time, while still maintaining product quality and safety. For example, Sheridan and Shilton (1999) studied the efficacy of cooking hamburger patties by mid infra-red (λmax = 2.7 μm) and far-infrared (λmax = 4.0 μm) sources.
Infrared can't replace all heating yet
In older, draughty homes, infrared panels alone may not be enough to keep rooms warm. Rooms will feel nice and comfortable when they are on, but without good insulation, the room temperature will quickly cool down when the panels are switched off.
Short wave emitters operate at a very high emissive power and temperature, so they have limited applications as it may cause overheating problems during prolonged processing of food materials. Medium wave emitters radiate in the range from 1.4 - 3.0 µm which can be used for drying and curing of food products.
Infrared panels are made for continuous operation over many hours. Once turned on, they'll heat up in a few minutes and can be left running for extended periods of time without issue. With the incorporated safety features, if the panel gets too hot, they will automatically shut off until the temperature has reduced.
Microwave heaters are faster process of heating as compared Infrared (IR) heaters depending on the material characteristic. Heating/drying process that uses Microwave heater is highly controllable as compared to those has Infrared heaters.
IR technology in food processing offers high thermal efficiency, rapid heating, effi-cient heat transfer, and effective pathogen inactivation, making it a promising alter-native to conventional heating methods for drying, pasteurizing, and sterilizing food products.
With new models of infrared outdoor grills on the market, some are questioning the safety of these high-powered cooking devices. High-energy forms of EM radiation, such as X-rays may pose a cancer risk, but infrared broilers, barbecues and microwaves don't have enough power to alter or damage DNA.
Chicken breasts, steaks, pork chops or hamburgers can be seared over the ribbed side at a higher temperature. Delicate foods like seafood and vegetables can be cooked over a lower temperature with the smooth side up. This can be done over each of the 3 burners independently, so be as creative as you want to be!
The key characteristic of infrared light is its ability to penetrate even the deep layers of the skin, providing better pain relief. Also, infrared light is safe, natural, non-invasive, and painless. Thus it may be able to provide a broad range of health benefits.
If you're grilling, baking, smoking or roasting you're going to need a penetration probe to tell you the internal temperature of the food you're cooking. An infrared will only give you the surface temperature of the food, and depending on your optical range, the temp of the surrounding grill, skillet, oven, etc.
Results. Detrimental effects such as thermal burns, photocarcinogenesis, and photoaging have been reported, though evidence suggests that these may be due to the thermal effects produced secondary to IR exposure rather than the isolated effect of IR.
Cons: Infrared Grills Are Expensive!
That's a lot of money to spend on a tool that basically does one thing well, which is cook steaks. Anything else — anything — whether it's chicken, vegetables, fish, seafood, hamburgers is going to need to be cooked at a lower temperature.
Effects of irradiation on food
Irradiation causes minimal changes to the chemical composition of the food, however, it can alter the nutrient content of some foods because it reduces the level of some of the B-group vitamins.
Because infrared heat penetrates and agitates food molecules instead of heating the surrounding area, food cooks very quickly. This feature gave microwave ovens vast popularity particularly in North America. However, infrared heat can alter food components that can have adverse effects on human health and safety.
Infrared data from NASA's satellites and other sources offer researchers views of Earth's hidden or obscured features and processes. Sunlit images of Earth, such as those we frequently see from weather satellites, provide us with beautiful and detailed information about our planet.
The protein of eye lens is very sensitive to IR radiation which is hazardous and may lead to cataract.
Do not use if pregnant, have serious inflammation, a fever, a communicable disease, acute bleeding, or intoxicated.
Microwave heat transfer usually cooks food faster than infrared radiation, as it is able to penetrate foods several inches deep. Keep in mind that microwave radiation works best when cooking small batches of food.
Health benefits – Infrared heating avoids circulating dust, making it ideal for people with allergies or asthma. It can also help reduce dampness and improve respiratory health. Noise-free operation – Silent in use, infrared panels are perfect for quiet environments such as flats or suburban neighborhoods.