Inactivation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Bacillus cereus by pulsed electric fields technology

Abstract

The effect of pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment, applied in a continuous system, on Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Bacillus cereus cells and spores was investigated. S. cerevisiae inoculated into sterilised apple juice and B. cereus cells and spores inoculated into sterilised 0.15% NaCl were treated with electric field strengths of 10–28 kV/cm using an 8.3 pulse number and with pulse numbers of 4.2–10.4 at 20 kV/cm, respectively. The inactivation of S. cerevisiae depended on the electric field intensity and number of pulses. The yeast inactivation increased when the applied electric field intensity and pulse number were increased. Approximately four log cycles reduction was achieved in apple juice using 10.4 pulses at 20 kV/cm. B. cereus cells were less sensitive to PEF treatment. The reduction in microbial count of B. cereus cells was hardly more than one log cycle using 10.4 pulses at 20 kV/cm. The applied PEF treatment was ineffective on Bacillus cereus spores.