Chapter 8 - PEF in the Food Industry for the New Millennium

Abstract

This chapter explores the challenges faced by pulsed electric field (PEF) technology at different stages of its implementation in the food industry in the new millennium. The major concern of industrial consortiums interested in the application of PEF is the initial investment. Before the commercialization of processed foods by a non-thermal technology, each process must comply with the appropriate safety regulations set forth by the food and drug administration (FDA) for each type of products. The process review objective of the FDA is to conduct a scientific evaluation of a particular process to determine if the product poses a potential public health hazard. They are also concerned with ensuring that all the critical factors necessary to render the product commercially sterile are monitored and controlled. The uniformity of the delivered treatment and the means to assess the process are still major challenges for PEF technology to succeed in the new millennium. The tremendous potential of PEF technology to replace or complement conventional methods is clear, and provides the basis for ongoing studies on PEF that can be regarded as both meaningful and worthy of consideration to all those in the field of food processing.