6 - Effect of High Intensity Electric Field Pulses on Solid Foods

Abstract

The use of pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment to preserve fish, meat, or other solid food products does not seem realistic, as application of low intensity electric field pulses has a detrimental effect on the microstructure. At the same time, the low-field voltage does not effectively reduce the growth of bacteria. Fish roes seem to be one of the very few solid foods that can withstand PEF treatment of 1200 kV/m and 12 pulses without a visible effect on the microstructure or texture. A PEF treatment could possibly be a pretreatment for roes. Other uses of PEF treatment on solid food material are more realistic, as PEF treatment seems to be effective as a pretreatment for the extraction of valuable materials, mainly from plant materials and for dehydration of organic material from plant and animal origin. In the fish and meat industry, a PEF treatment can possibly be used either to dehydrate byproducts or to extract some valuable items such as enzymes, fish oils, or valuable metabolites.