Maximizing Benefits from Numerical Simulation for Food Process Optimization and Further Advancement by Integration of AI

Abstract The implementation of innovative volumetric food preservation technologies has the potential to reduce the overprocessing of products, by intensifying the preservation effects of treatments and reducing their exposure to them. However, empirical data are insufficient for engineers and food technologists to optimize and develop safe processing protocols. It is therefore essential to develop digital models that can provide a comprehensive representation of the system, as well as a foundation for the computer-assisted optimization of novel technologies. However, a gap in the literature hinders the acquisition of the insights necessary to accomplish this task. This review paper provides an overview of conventional and innovative preservation technologies, outlining their fundamental principles and operational mechanisms. It then presents a comprehensive examination of the numerical methodologies employed for the digital simulation of these technologies, delineating their distinctive requirements. Furthermore, the review assesses potential strategies for ensuring the reliability of data validation and techniques for reducing the complexity of numerical modelling with artificial intelligence (AI). This literature review identified the requisite knowledge for the implementation of numerical simulations and important details that need to be considered to avoid the divergence of the calculations and save costly computational hours. Furthermore, the review proposed a time–temperature integrator-based validation for the obtained data and evaluated the benefits of supporting numerical simulations with AI.