Application of pulsed electric field technique in food processing - A review

Pulsed electric field (PEF) processing is a non-thermal method of food preservation that uses short bursts of electricity for microbial inactivation and causes minimal or no detrimental effect on food quality attributes. This technology promises to maintain the critical balance between safety and marketability of foods. The technology has been optimized for cold-pasteurization of foods and a limited number of such products are now commercially available. PEF is a continuous processing method, for liquid and semi-liquid food products. Application of PEF technology has been successfully demonstrated for the pasteurization of foods such as juices, milk, yogurt, soups, and liquid eggs. PEF is also applied to enhance extraction of sugars and other cellular content from plant cells, such as sugar beets. PEF has also found application in reducing the solid volume (sludge) of wastewater. The techniques and status of research on PEF applications in food processing are reviewed.