Drying is the traditional way to preserve food. Drying may be done for the single purpose of dehydrating fresh meat for extension of storage, but it may also be one of various processing steps during the manufacture of specific meat products. Dried Beef Jerky keeps well because the moisture content is so low that spoilage organisms cannot grow. Traditional drying methods have some issues(1) Even after sun drying ,the beef jerky has a high moisture content about 35%，it will take a longer time to control moisture content under 12% (2) Food company hardly control hygiene condition (3) The tasty of beef jerky is not ideal.

Advantages of Microwave Drying and Sterilization 

1. Energy saving. Microwave heating has a strong penetration ability to get a uniform drying result. Microwave only vibrate water molecular to it reduce energy waste comparing to regularly drying method.

2. Low temperature Kill Bacteria. Microwave has a dual sterilizing function thermal and non-thermal. During the sterilizing process, microwave can maximum maintain food color, taste, nutrition and smell. In addition, it can puffy the beef jerky to obtain a good taste.

3. Fast start. Industrial tunnel microwave could continuously conveyor and heat beef without preheating stage.

4. It significantly improves working environment like small footprint, a clean circumstance, fully automatic without heating radiation.

Attention of Using Microwave 

1.In the economic way, we need control beef jerky moisture content under 20% prior to the microwave process. If we directly send the beef to the microwave, it will consume much power.

2. We need regularly clean the beef container to assure hygiene standard.

If beef has a large moisture content, we suggest that we combine microwave drying with other drying solution to achieve the best drying result: A. natural ventilated drying with microwave, but it takes a large space and require a cleaning environment B. Steaming or boiling drying solution with microwave. Food company normally has the steamer so it save extra cost C. Drying process before microwave.