Pulsed Electric Field Processing Research Articles

Influence of pulsed electric fields (PEF) with calcium addition on the texture profile of cooked black beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) and their particle breakdown during in vivo oral processing

This study investigated the use of pulsed electric fields/PEF (electric field strengths 1–2 kV/cm, specific energy 9–127 kJ/kg) to facilitate calcium uptake into black beans in preserving their hardness from thermal degradation during subsequent cooking (1 h, 70–90 °C). Increasing specific energy reduced CaCl2 concentration in PEF processing media to 100 ppm to improve the hardness of cooked black beans. Those pre-treated at lower energy required min. 300 ppm CaCl2. Cooked black beans with PEF-pretreatment shared similar hardness as without PEF but unexpectedly chewier (18–43% more energy to disintegrate the beans). In vivo mastication study showed particle size at 18 and 24 s of mastication was significantly different (p < 0.05) wherein “PEF without CaCl2” had the smallest particles compared to “No PEF with CaCl2” and “PEF with CaCl2”. The outer seed coats of PEF-pretreated beans were easily masticated to smaller and consistent particles. This implies that PEF improved particle breakdown during mastication.

Effect of Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) on Bacterial Viability and Whey Protein in the Processing of Raw Milk

There is growing concern regarding the nutritional value of processed food products. Although thermal pasteurization, used in food processing, is a safe method and is widely applied in the food industry, food products lack quality and nutritional value because of the high temperatures used during pasteurization. In this study, the effect of pulsed electric field (PEF) processing on whey protein content and bacterial viability in raw milk was evaluated by changing the PEF strength and number of pulses. For comparison, traditional pasteurization techniques, such as low-temperature long-time (LTLT), ultra-high temperature (UHT), and microfiltration (MF), were also tested for total whey protein content, bacterial activity, and coliforms. We found that, after treatment with PEF, a significant decrease in total bacterial viability of 2.43 log and coliforms of 0.9 log was achieved, although undenatured whey protein content was not affected at 4.98 mg/mL. While traditional pasteurization techniques showed total bacterial inactivation, they were detrimental for whey protein content: β-lactoglobulin was not detected using HPLC in samples treated with UHT. LTLT treatment led to a significant decrease of 75% in β-lactoglobulin concentration; β-lactoglobulin content in milk samples treated with MF was the lowest compared to LTLT and UHT pasteurization, and ~10% and 27% reduction was observed.

Simulation Study of Coaxial Treatment Chambers for PEF Pasteurization: A Critical Review

A pulsed electric field (PEF) produces pasteurized liquid foods with fresh and nutritional properties. The treatment chamber is a crucial part of the PEF processing system where a high voltage is applied, producing an electric field to treat the liquid foods. The proper construction of the treatment chamber regulates the distribution of the electrical field inside the treatment zone. Mixing of liquid inside the treatment zone is an effective tool to overcome this heterogeneous effect. The coaxial treatment chamber offers a heterogeneous electric field and temperature distribution inside the treatment zone. A helical insulator inside the coaxial treatment chamber provides a mixing effect. In this research, a numerical simulation was done to measure the electric field in different geometries of treatment chambers at different flow rates. The simulation aimed to optimize the new coaxial treatment chamber design. The modelling findings showed homogeneous electrical field strength in the helical treatment chamber. This study provides new insights for industrial-scale setup using multiple helical chambers in a continuous flow PEF treatment.

A comparative study on physicochemical properties and in vitro bioaccessibility of bioactive compounds in rosehip (Rosa caninaL.) infusions treated by non‐thermal and thermal treatments

The present study aimed to compare the effects of non-thermal techniques with thermal treatment on physicochemical properties, bioaccessibility, and antioxidant capacity of bioactives in rosehip (Rosa canina) infusions. High pressure processing (HPP) at 200, 400, or 600 MPa for 5 and 15 min; pulsed electric field (PEF) with 5, 10, and 15 kJ/kg specific energy intakes at 1 and 3 kV/cm electric field strength; and thermal treatment (TT) at 85°C/10 min were applied. According to the results, processing method had varying effects on the contents of phenolic compounds, antioxidant capacity, and bioaccessibility in rosehip infusions. The highest retention of total phenolics (TPC) and flavonoids (TFC) were achieved by the TT (2278 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/100 g dry weight (dw) and 3728 rutin equivalents (RE)/100 g dw, respectively) and HPP treatment at a pressure of 600 MPa for 15 min (2268 mg GAE/100 g dw and 3695 mg RE/100 g dw, respectively). These findings are in line with the results of antioxidant capacities of the samples. Besides, TT, HPP treatment at 600 MPa/5 min, and PEF treatment at 5 and 15 kJ/kg energy intakes (PEF1 and PEF3) resulted with a higher recovery of TPC, TFC, and antioxidant capacity after gastrointestinal digestion. It can be concluded that HPP and PEF treatments at specific conditions could be used in the processing of infusions and beverages. However, it should be considered that appropriate processing parameters should be selected and optimized for each sample individually, to assure the best nutritional value and quality characteristics. Novelty impact statement Better retention of bioactive compounds after high pressure processing (HPP) treatment at a pressure of 600 MPa for 15 min. A noticeable improvement in the recovery of bioactive content and antioxidant capacity after HPP and pulsed electric field processing. Potential of non-thermal food processing techniques as alternative to conventional thermal treatments in the production of functional foods with enhanced nutritional value.

Understanding In Vivo Mastication Behaviour and In Vitro Starch and Protein Digestibility of Pulsed Electric Field-Treated Black Beans after Cooking.

The aim of this study was to understand (i) the in vivo mastication behaviour of cooked black beans (chewing duration, texture perception, oral bolus particle size, microstructure, and salivary α-amylase) and (ii) the in vitro digestibility of starch and protein of in vivo-generated black bean oral bolus under simulated gastrointestinal condition. The beans were pre-treated using pulsed electric field (PEF) with and without calcium chloride (CaCl2) addition prior to cooking. The surface response model based on least square was used to optimise PEF processing condition in order to achieve the same texture properties of cooked legumes except for chewiness. In vivo mastication behaviour of the participants (n = 17) was characterized for the particle size of the resulting bolus, their salivary α-amylase activity, and the total chewing duration before the bolus was deemed ready for swallowing. In vitro starch and protein digestibility of the masticated bolus generated in vivo by each participant along the gastrointestinal phase were then studied. This study found two distinct groups of chewers—fast and slow chewers who masticated all black bean beans, on average, for <25 and >29 s, respectively, to achieve a bolus ready for swallowing. Longer durations of chewing resulted in boluses with small-sized particles (majorly composed of a higher number of broken-down cotyledons (2–5 mm2 particle size), fewer seed coats (5–13 mm2 particle size)), and higher activity of α-amylase. Therefore, slow chewers consistently exhibited a higher in vitro digestibility of both the starch and protein of processed black beans compared to fast chewers. Despite such distinct difference in the nutritional implication for both groups of chewers, the in vivo masticated oral bolus generated by fast chewers revealed that the processing conditions involving the PEF and addition of CaCl2 of black beans appeared to significantly (p < 0.05) enhance the in vitro digestibility of protein (by two-fold compared to untreated samples) without stimulating a considerable increase in the starch digestibility. These findings clearly demonstrated that the food structure of cooked black beans created through PEF treatment combined with masticatory action has the potential to modulate a faster hydrolysis of protein during gastrointestinal digestion, thus offering an opportunity to upgrade the quality of legume protein intake in the daily diet.

Effect of pulsed electric field, mild thermal pretreatment and calcium on texture changes of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) during subsequent cooking

The effect of pulsed electric field (PEF) and/or mild thermal processing at 60 °C (T60) on the cooking behaviour of potato tissue in media with different Ca2+ concentrations (0–0.5%) was investigated. The rate constant for texture degradation during cooking seemed to decrease after the different pretreatments in the order Untreated > T60 > PEF > PEF-T60, but only a significant effect (α = 0.05) could be found in the case of the combination pretreatment in 0.5% Ca2+ medium. These texture changes were linked with changes in pectin degree of methylesterification (DM) and Ca2+ crosslinking obtained after the pretreatments. The mild thermal pretreatment has little effect on the pectin DM but promotes ionic crosslinking. Both the PEF and combination pretreatment reduce the pectin DM and increase ionic crosslinking significantly. An exponential correlation was found between the texture degradation rate constant and the pectin properties studied.

Apple Juice Preservation Using Combined Nonthermal Processing and Antimicrobial Packaging

This study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of pulsed electric fields (PEFs), pulsed UV light (PL), and antimicrobial packaging (AP), either individually or combined, for inactivating bacteria and maintaining the quality of fruit juices. Apple juice samples were inoculated with Escherichia coli K-12 or native molds and yeasts (M&Y), treated with bench-scale PEF and/or PL processing systems, and stored in glass jars with antimicrobial caps containing 10 μL of carvacrol. The reductions in microbial populations and the physicochemical properties of juice samples were determined after treatments and during storage at 10°C. The treatments were PL (5 to 50 s at 1.04 J/cm2/s), PEF (19, 23, and 30 kV/cm), PEF followed by PL (PEF+PL), PL followed by PEF (PL+PEF), and PEF+PL+AP. PEF treatments at 19 to 30 kV/cm (PEF19, PEF23, and PEF30) resulted in 2.0-, 2.6-, and 4.0-log reductions of E. coli, respectively, and PL treatments for 10 to 50 s (PL10, PL20, PL30, PL40, and PL50) resulted in 0.45-, 0.67-, 0.76-, 2.3-, and 4.0-log reductions, respectively. No significant differences (P > 0.05) were found between the combined PL20+PEF19 and PEF19+PL20 treatments; both treatments reduced E. coli K-12 populations to nondetectable levels (>5-log reductions) after 7 days. Both PEF+PL and PEF+PL+AP treatments achieved >5-log reductions of M&Y; however, juice samples subjected to PEF+PL+AP treatment had lower M&Y counts (2.9 log units) than did samples subjected to PEF+PL treatment (3.9 log units) after 7 days. No significant differences (P > 0.05) in pH, acidity, and total soluble solids were found among all samples after treatments. Increased PL treatment times reduced color a* and b* values, total phenolics, and carotenoids. This study provides information valuable to juice processors for consideration and design of nonthermal pasteurization of juice products.

Effect of pulsed electric field processing on reduction of sulfamethazine residue content in milk.

The whole milk spiked with sulfamethazine was treated under thermal and pulsed electric field processing for maximum reduction. The low-temperature long-time (LTLT, 62.5°C for 30min), high-temperature short time (HTST, 72°C for 15 s) pasteurization and ultra-high temperature processing (UHT, 138°C for 2 s) resulted in the reduction of sulfamethazine 7.3, 5.2 and 4.6% respectively. PEF and combination treatment (thermal + PEF) were found to reduce sulfamethazine content in milk by 67-72% and 73-76% respectively. Combined treatment of milk resulted in a higher percentage of reduction. Similar predicted and actual values proved that they fit the linear regression model and successful application of pulsed electric field technology in reducing antibiotic residues. PEF and mild thermal treatment can be a promising technology to reduce the antibiotic residues with ensuring minimal negative impact on the nutritional quality of food.

Recovery of Struvite from Sewage Sludge Using Pulsed Electric Field Technique and Process Optimization

Recovery of Struvite from Sewage Sludge Using Pulsed Electric Field Technique and Process Optimization

Pulsed electric field technology - Shelf life extension of milk

Application of Pulsed Electric field (PEF) in food processing is one of the innovative non thermal technologies which can be used as an alternative to traditional thermal processing. The nutritional and sensory qualities of the food are altered in thermal processing. As pulsed electric field inactivates microorganisms at ambient temperatures, organoleptic and nutritional properties of the food are retained in liquid foods such as milk, fruit juices. When compared to thermal processing, PEF processing is more energy efficient, as the processing time is only for few seconds. This study investigates the shelf life studies of raw milk processed using PEF technology. The quality control tests were done and physico –chemical parameters were analysed after PEF processing. A mean value of 26.17±1.3 was obtained for shelf life (in days) after PEF processing. The mean values of 6.58 ± 0.02 to 6.25 ± 0.02 and 0.14 ± 0.00 to 0.18± 0.01 were obtained for pH and acidity respectively during the 1st week to 4th week of storage. Pulsed electric field technology has shown positive effects on inactivating pathogenic bacteria and reducing the number of spoilage microorganisms in milk.

Impact of pulsed electric field processing on reduction of benzylpenicillin residue in milk.

The presence of residues of veterinary drugs in animal-derived food is one of the major problems for food safety. The consumption of milk containing antibiotic residues can evoke allergic reactions in hypersensitive individuals, disorders of intestinal flora and produces the risk of emerging antibiotic resistance microorganism. In this study, the effect of the thermal treatments and pulsed electric field (PEF) on the reduction of benzylpenicillin (PNG) spiked artificially in milk was evaluated quantitatively by calculating the loss of the concentration using HPLC. Fresh raw milk was subjected to a high-temperature short-time (72°C for 15s, HTST), low-temperature long- time (62.5°C for 30min, LTLT) and ultrahigh-temperature processing (138°C for 2s, UHT). The PEF process factors output voltage (20-65%) and pulse width (10-26μs) were optimized for maximum reduction of PNG by employing the statistical tool response surface methodology (RSM). HTST, LTLT, and UHT have resulted in the reduction of PNG 13.5%, 6.1%, 1.2% respectively. The optimized parameters of the PEF treatment had reduction efficiency in the range of 79-86%. The saddle response surface obtained from RSM showed that the center was neither at maximum point nor at the minimum point. The predicted and experimental values of the response were nearly similar which proved the suitability of the fitted quadratic model. Combined thermal and PEF treatment has a significant synergistic effect in reducing the PNG. PEF induced reduction efficiency achieved was 79-86%. The reduction percentages were observed higher in the combined pasteurization and PEF treatment of milk. The pulsed electric field can be adopted as a unique processing tool for degradation of antibiotic residues whilst retaining nutritional quality parameters.

Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) Processing of Chilled and Frozen-Thawed Lamb Meat Cuts: Relationships between Sensory Characteristics and Chemical Composition of Meat.

The effect of PEF processing and chilled storage on the volatile composition and sensory properties of chilled and frozen lamb cuts was investigated in this study. Results showed that PEF-treated chilled and frozen lamb cuts varied in temporal flavour attributes with storage. Storage for 7 days resulted in oxidized flavour, while PEF treatments for all chilled and frozen cuts were associated with browned and livery flavour attributes. Partial least squares regression (PLSR) was applied to determine the predictive relationships between the volatile composition, fatty acid and amino acid profiles, and sensory responses for PEF treated lamb cuts. The results showed that some volatile compounds (2-nonanone, 2-pentylfuran, pyrrole, methyl pyrazine, 2-ethyl-3-methyl pyrazine, and thiophene) correlated well with the meaty and juicy flavour of PEF treated frozen lamb cuts. In PEF treated chilled lamb cuts, meaty and juicy flavours were associated with the presence of fatty acids (C18:0, SFA, 20:5(n-3), and n-3). In contrast, livery and browned perception of both PEF processed chilled and frozen lamb cuts were associated with the presence of amino acids (threonine, phenylalanine, isoleucine, tyrosine, and methionine), and some volatile compounds (heptanal, 2-ethylfuran, pyridine, dimethyl disulphide, dimethyl trisulphide, and 3,5-diethyl-2-methyl pyrazine). Overall, these results imply that careful consideration of type of meat cuts, PEF pre-treatment, and storage are important when subjecting lamb meat to PEF processing.

Effect of pulsed electric field treatment on the kinetics of rehydration, textural properties, and the extraction of intracellular compounds of dried chickpeas.

This study investigated the effect of pulsed electric fields (PEF) pretreatment on rehydration kinetics, firmness, and release of intracellular components of dried chickpeas during rehydration at 35 to 65°C. After soaking preconditioning, chickpeas were subjected to PEF treatments (2.5 and 3.3kV/cm, 0.2 to 12.0kJ/kg, 15 µs pulse width, 20Hz frequency). PEF treated and untreated chickpeas were dried in crossflow air dryer and their rehydration at constant seed/water ratio of 1:5 was studied for 24 hr. During rehydration, moisture, firmness, and concentration of released proteins, carbohydrates and raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFO) were determined and described using appropriate mathematical models. PEF treatment led to up to 70% higher rehydration rates of dried chickpeas. This increase corresponds to rehydration time of approximately 1.5 hr, as opposed to 5 hr for untreated samples. Firmness of PEF treated chickpeas (for energy inputs higher than 3kJ/kg) during rehydration decreased up to 30% compared to untreated samples. The firmness of untreated samples after 300min of rehydration was achieved at much shorter times (up to 30min) for PEF treated samples. At the end of 300min of rehydration, more than 47.7%, 76.1%, and 86.6% of total raffinose, stachyose, and verbascose, respectively has been extracted, but only 0.03% of nutritionally valuable proteins from PEF treated chickpeas. Consequently, this study demonstrates that PEF processing could be implemented in dried chickpeas processing as pretreatment, for the reduction of rehydration time prior to cooking and of intestinal discomfort caused by RFO.

Effect of pulsed electric field and mild thermal processing on texture-related pectin properties to better understand carrot (Daucus carota) texture changes during subsequent cooking

Pulsed electric field (PEF) and/or mild thermal (60 °C) processing distinctly affect the texture degradation of carrot tissues during subsequent cooking. The impact of PEF and/or mild thermal processing on texture-related pectin properties was studied in terms of pectin extractability, degree of methylesterification (DM) and Ca2+ crosslinking in carrot cortex and vascular tissue. In the case of cortex tissue, the treatments significantly (α = 0.05) reduced the extractability of pectin in water and alkali; the pectin DM and ionic crosslinking were not affected. In the case of vascular tissue, mainly the PEF and combination treatment reduced the extractability of pectin in water and alkali, reduced the pectin DM (approx. 60 to 50%), and improved its ionic crosslinking. Addition of Ca2+ ions may help preserve the texture of both tissues during subsequent cooking. Further research is necessary to investigate the effect of the treatments on covalent pectin crosslinking, especially in cortex tissue.

Development of pulsed electric fields treatment unit to treat wheat grains: Improvement of seed vigour and stress tolerance

Pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment may pose a potential to be an alternative to chemical use for seed surface disinfection and seed vigour improvement. In order to test effectiveness of PEF treatment, a new pilot-scale PEF treatment unit was designed and used to treat wheat grains with the energy range of 1.07–17.28 J. Compared to the control samples, all PEF treatments significantly increased germination and seedling rates by 10 and 28%, respectively. Electrical conductivity was significantly affected by the delayed measurement time rather than PEF treatment. PEF-treated seed samples had significantly higher tolerance to cold and salt stresses. Endogenous microflora of total aerobic mesophilic bacteria and total mold and yeast were significantly reduced by the applied energy. Salt stress on day 8 (100 mM NaCI) exhibited the highest predictive power of 98.43% in modellıng studies. The multi-objective optimization of the 19 responses pointed to 161.8 Hz, 6.1 J, and 19.5 s as the optimal settings (D = 0.52). It was concluded that PEF processing of the wheat seeds improved vigor, promote cold and salt stress tolerance, and inactivated surface microflora.

Cooking does not impair the impact of pulsed electric field on the protein digestion of venison (Cervus elaphus) during in vitro gastrointestinal digestion

SummaryThe present study was conducted to elucidate whether cooking impairs the positive effect of pulsed electric field (PEF) on the digestibility of venison during in vitro gastrointestinal protein digestion. Previous studies have used fresh uncooked meat to demonstrate the effect of PEF on protein digestibility during gastrointestinal digestion neglecting the effect that cooking could induce during meat preparation process. PEF‐treated samples (T1, 10 kV, 90 Hz, 20 µs) were cooked (core temperature of 75 °C) and subjected to in vitro simulated gastrointestinal protein digestion along with non‐treated controls. A 3% increase of in vitro protein digestibility was found in cooked PEF‐treated venison (P &lt; 0.05). A positive (P &lt; 0.05) impact of PEF processing was observed on overall protein digestion as measured by soluble protein (%) and SDS‐PAGE. PEF did not change (P &gt; 0.05) the release of minerals from cooked venison during digestion. Cooking had no negative influence on the mechanism through which PEF operates in improving the protein digestibility of venison.

Application of Pulsed Electric Fields PEF on Pecan Nuts Carya illinoinensis Wangenh. K. Koch: Oil Extraction Yield and Compositional Characteristics of the Oil and Its By-product

Pecan nut oil is conventionally obtained by mechanical extraction characterized by a low oil extraction yield (OEY) compared to solvent extraction. Pulsed electric fields (PEF) have been employed as a pretreatment to enhance OEY from several oilseeds, but no studies have been found regarding tree nut oil. Hence, PEF was applied at different specific energy inputs (0.5–17.6 kJ kg−1) to evaluate its impact on OEY, oil acidity, and antioxidant capacity (AC), along with total phenolics (TP), condensed tannins (CT), and AC of the by-product generated from oil extraction. Kernels treated by PEF were compared against untreated and soaked kernels due to sample water immersion during PEF processing. The water immersion reduced the initial oil content of soaked and PEF-treated kernels (7.3–11.7%), transferring between 3.8 ± 0.0 and 6.2 ± 0.1 g of oil into the soaking water (\({o}_{SW}\)). OEYTOTAL of soaked and PEF-treated samples was calculated considering \({o}_{SW}\). The application of 0.5 kJ kg−1 increased OEYTOTAL by 21.4 and 17.6% compared to untreated and soaked kernels, respectively, while oil acidity and AC of PEF-treated kernels were within values reported for pecan nut oil. The highest concentration of TP and CT in the by-product was achieved at 0.8 kJ kg−1, increasing 9.5 and 30.1%, respectively, compared to untreated kernels. Results evidenced that PEF processing might be a suitable technology to increase OEY from pecan nuts, but the oil extracted during kernels water immersion must be recovered. Furthermore, the by-product of PEF-treated kernels displayed an enhanced content of phenolic compounds increasing its potential as food ingredient.

Elucidating the pH influence on pulsed electric fields-induced self-assembly of chitosan-zein-poly(vinyl alcohol)-polyethylene glycol nanostructured composites

HypothesisThe high incompatibility of bio-based materials such as protein and polysaccharides require a series of modifications to develop stable microstructures effectively. By modifying the density and charge of surface residues, pulsed electric fields processing can improve inter/intramolecular interactions, compatibility, and microstructure of bio-based nanostructured composites. ExperimentIn this work, the impact of pulsed electric fields at a specific energy of 60–700 kJ/kg (electric field strength = 1.6 kV/cm) on self-assembly of zein-chitosan-poly(vinyl alcohol)-polyethylene glycol composite dispersion was investigated at pH 4.0, 5.7, and 6.8. FindingsSuperior complex coacervated matrices were assembled at pH 4.0 and 5.7 before and after pulsed electric fields treatment at a specific energy of 390–410 kJ/kg. The compact and homogenous behaviour was attributable to pulsed electric fields-induced alteration of functional group interactions in a pH-dependent manner. Irrespective of the pH, very high electric field intensity caused excessive system perturbation leading to severe fragmentation and poor development of coacervates. The crucial insights from this study reveal that the self-assembly behaviour and integration of biopolymer-based systems possessing different local charges can be enhanced by optimising pulsed electric fields processing parameters and the properties of the colloidal systems such as the pH.

Changes in the physicochemical properties of chilled and frozen-thawed lamb cuts subjected to pulsed electric field processing

There has been recent interest in the use of pulse electric field (PEF) processing of muscle foods to improve food quality. In this study, the effects of PEF processing and storage (0 and 7 days) on the physicochemical properties and sensory characteristics of different frozen thawed and chilled lamb meat cuts were investigated. Seven lamb cuts (knuckle, rump, topside, shoulder shank, loin and rib) were treated at electric field strengths of 1–1.4 kV.cm−1, specific energy of 88–109 kJ.kg−1, frequency of 90 Hz, pulse width of 20 µs, and pulse number of 964. PEF had less effects on cooking loss when applied to frozen-thawed meat compared to chilled meat samples. PEF treatment of all chilled cuts at 0 and 7 days storage significantly decreased fatty acids. PEF treated chilled topside, knuckle, rump anf loin cuts stored for 7 days resulted in significantly increased amino acids content. PEF treatment of almost all frozen lamb cuts (except rib cut) that were stored for 7 days significantly increased TBARS value, decreased fatty acids, and increased amino acids content.

Shelf life extension of strawberry juice by equivalent ultrasound, high pressure, and pulsed electric fields processes

Nonthermal processing technologies have focused on the production of safe, fresh-like and high quality food products very much in line with current consumer demands. It is a high priority to maintain the quality attributes of the food during its shelf life. In this study; microbial stability, physicochemical properties and phytochemical characteristics of strawberry juice (SJ) pasteurized by ultrasonication (US) (55 °C, 0.29 W/mL acoustic energy density, 120 μm amplitude, 3 min), high pressure processing (HPP) (300 MPa, 1 min), and pulsed electric fields (PEF) (35 kV/cm, 27 μs) were evaluated during 42 days of storage at 4 °C in comparison with conventional thermal pasteurization as a reference treatment (72 °C, 15 s). The nonthermal processes were equivalent in terms of E. coli inactivation since the selected processing conditions previously led to almost identical inactivation level (at least 5-log) of inoculated E. coli. Thus, the current study demonstrates how these equivalent US, HPP, and PEF treatments differ from each other in terms of their effect on SJ natural microbiota and quality characteristics during refrigerated storage. Results showed that US, HPP, and heat treatment ensured the microbial stability of SJ for at least 42 days while PEF extended the shelf life of SJ by at least 28 days based on the natural microbiota. No significant difference was found for the total soluble solids of the processed samples (p > 0.05) whereas acidity and pH of the samples varied during the storage period (p < 0.05). Immediately after processing, the total phenolic contents and antioxidant activities of SJ were better retained by HPP and PEF compared to thermal pasteurization. Furthermore, HPP and PEF significantly increased total anthocyanin content of SJ by 15 and 17% with respect to untreated SJ (p < 0.05). Phytochemical characteristics of processed SJ started to decrease after 7 days of storage irrespective of treatment type. HPP treated juices showed significantly higher levels of total anthocyanin and antioxidant activity at the final day of storage. Principal component and cluster analysis showed that the processed SJ samples had higher similarity to the untreated fresh SJ during storage up to 14 days, while the samples beyond this storage period clustered together and discriminated from the rest indicating a decreased similarity to the fresh juice. This study rendered simultaneous evaluation of several quality characteristics during storage of pasteurized strawberry juice based on the equivalent processing approach and multivariate data analysis. Under the selected processing conditions, HPP was the best option to extend the shelf life of SJ and enhance its phytochemical characteristics.