The application of computational fluid dynamics in the food industry

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is a numerical technique for the solution of the equations governing the flow of fluids inside a defined flow geometry. CFD has seen applications in many different processing industries, but it is only in recent years that the technique has been applied to food processing applications, including air flow in clean rooms, ovens and chillers; flow of foods in continuous-flow systems; and convection patterns during in-container thermal processing. In this review article, we discuss the current state of play of CFD in the food industry and also the future advances in the technique that will guarantee its use as a tool for food process engineers.