Foreign dielectric property measurement techniques and their applications in agricultural products and food materials

The knowledge of dielectric properties of agricultural products and food materials is important in developing and designing microwave equipment and composition identification instruments. In order to provide references for domestic research in this field, the measurement techniques on dielectric properties (parallel plate, coaxial probe, transmission line, free space and resonant cavity) used overseas at present in agro-products and food materials were introduced, and the measurement system, characteristics as well as applicability of each technique were summarized. The research progress of each technology in studying dielectric properties of agro-products and foods were reviewed. Moreover, problems existing in domestic research in this fields and development trend in the future in China were discussed.