Impingement cooking of meat products: Effect of variability on final temperature

Heat transfer coefficient (HTC) for chicken fillets and beef burgers were determined at a number of product-to-tube distances in an impingement air unit. The coefficient varied from < 100 W/m² K to over 200 W/m ² K depending on the input parameter settings. The level of variation in the coefficient between adjacent product items in the oven has been quantified as ±20 W/m² K. Models of sheat transfer for both food products have been developed. Parameter of the models indicated that depending on the product, either dimensional variation in the product or dispersion in the HTC between products can make the dominant contribution to dispersion in final product temperature.