The brittleness or crispness of the crust is a critical element in a
consumer’s evaluation of a particular deep-fried battered food
product. However, such crusts normally absorb significant amounts
of water during the microwave reheating that allows fast meal
service. The major mechanisms of microwave heating of foods
involve orientation polarisation and interfacial (space charge) distribution.
Some dielectric materials contain permanent dipoles that
tend to reorient under the influence of alternating fields, thus
causing orientation polarisation (Metaxas & Meredith, 1983, pp.6e
80). Moisture molecules are conducted outward when battered
products are heated in a microwave oven. The result is a soggy