Pulsed electric field technology in food preservation: As an active competitor of thermal treatments

Abstract

Pulsed electric field technology is a novel non-thermal technology in food preservation to improve the quality and shelf life of the food product. There are many thermal and non-thermal technologies for food preservation like traditional methods including freezing, refrigeration, blanching and non-thermal technologies like pulsed electric field technology, ultrasound technique, irradiation, high pressure processing etc. Among this pulsed electric field technology advantageous compared to others. It is claimed as superior to any other techniques of food preservation because it reduces the detrimental changes in food quality and keeps the physical and sensorial attributes of food. And this technique can be used mostly in the case of liquid foods and semi-solid foods. In this technique, high electric pulses should be applied through the electrodes to the food which is kept between the electrodes in the treatment chamber. And the external electric field leads to breakdown of the cell membrane of microorganisms by the process called electroporation. In this review, importance of pulsed electric field technology, its major components, microbial inactivation process, and the factors responsible for inactivation, major applications of PEF, etc. are discussed.