PULSE ELECTRIC FIELD IN FOOD PROCESSING

Submitted to:
Dr. Suresh H. Bhise
Assistant Professor
Department of Food Processing Technology

Submitted by:
Ravrani Khushal A 2070924008

M.Tech
(1st Semester)

Subject:
Emerging Technologies in Food Processing (FPT-501)

College of Food Processing Technology and Bio-Energy,

Anand Agricultural University, AAU – 388110
2024
Contents:

 Introduction
 What Is PULSE ELECTRIC FIELD PROCESSING(PEF)
 Principle of PEF
 Working of PEF
 Electroporation and How PEF inactivate microorganism?
 Applications of PEF in Food Processing
 Advantages
 Disadvantages
 Conclusion
 References

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1. Introduction:

Why Do We Process Foods?

● To extend the shelf life
● Maintain the sensory qualities
● To ensure food safety
● Maintain nutritive qualities
● Economic values

FOOD
PROCESSING

THERMAL NON-THERMAL
PROCESSING PROCESSING

Classification

Thermal processing Non-thermal processing

 Pasteurization  High Pressure processing

 Sterilization  irradiation
 Ohmic heating  Pulsed electric field
 Microwave heating  Ultrasonic
 Induction heating  Oscillating magnetic field
 Infrared heating  Radio frequency heating

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 Non-Thermal Technology

 Effective at ambient or sub lethal temperatures, minimal use of energy.

 Retention of desired qualities and nutritional parameters, Improve shelf life.

 Temperature rise may be expected or even may be desired.

 May be employed for both solid and liquid foods.

 High hydrostatic pressure, Pulsed electric field, ultrasound, pulsed light, Irradiation,
Electron beam, Oscillating magnetic field, Ozone, Gas, Plasma.

2. What is Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) Processing?

 Pulsed electric field (PEF) processing is a new non-thermal method that uses short
bursts of high voltage electric fields (typically 10-80 kV/cm) to foods placed between
2 electrodes to achieve desired microbial inactivation or modification of food
structure. (Zhang et al. 2010; Toepfl, Heinz, and Knorr 2006)

 These pulses induce poration of plant, animal and microbial cells, leading to cell
disintegration and microbial inactivation.

 PEF is instant, targeted, flexible, and energy-efficient and because heat is minimized,
produces have a longer shelf life whilst maintaining better nutritional value than with
traditional food processing techniques.

3. Principle of PEF

 PEF technology is the application of short pulses of high electric fields with duration
of micro- to milliseconds and intensity in the order of 10-80 kV/cm.
 The process is based on pulsed electrical currents delivered to a product placed
between a set of electrodes; the distance between electrodes is termed as the treatment
gap of the PEF chamber.
 The applied high voltage results in an electric field that causes microbial inactivation.
 This technology kept food below temperatures normally used in thermal processing

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4. Working of PEF

 The food sample is placed in a treatment chamber between two electrodes connected
by a nonconductive material.

 High voltage pulses are applied to the electrodes, which then conduct the pulses to the
food sample.
 The high voltage pulses applied induce pores in cell membranes, causing a loss of
barrier function, leakage of intracellular content and loss of vitality.

5. Graphical Representation of PEF

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6. Electroporation and How PEF Inactivates Microorganisms?

 The process of puncturing cell membranes with an electric pulse is

called electroporation
 Cell cytoplasm is surrounded by a thin semi-permeable layer, the cell membrane.
 This membrane is a phospholipid layer with a thickness of 5 nm.

 A series of short, high-voltage pulses are applied to the cell membrane, creating pores
or expanding existing ones. The pores are typically 50–100 nanometers in size

 Electroporation is a quick, energy-efficient process that minimizes heat. This can help
preserve the nutritional value of food and extend its shelf life

 As a result, it measure dramatic increases in yield, the preservation of pigments,

antioxidants and vitamins.

 How Does PEF Inactivate Microorganisms?

 PEF processing applies a series of short, high-voltage pulses. These pulses rupture the
cell membranes of vegetative microorganisms by creating pores or by expanding
existing pores (electroporation).

 The ruptures cause leak of intracellular contents, resulting in the concomitant loss of
cellular metabolic activity such as growth and division, thus causing microbial
inactivation (Buckow, Ng, and Toepfl 2013).

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 The inactivation of microbial populations by PEF depends on a variety of PEF equipment
process parameters and treatment chamber geometry (Jin, Guo, and Zhang 2015):
 Electric Field Strength
 Treatment Time
 Pulse Frequency
 Pulse Width
 Treatment Temperature

 Microbial efficacy of PEF treatment is also influenced by various product parameters:

 Acidity
 Presence Of Antimicrobial And Ionic Compounds
 Conductivity
 Medium Ionic Strength
 PEF treatment has limited effect on bacterial and mold spores, enzymes, and viruses.

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7. Application of PEF in Food Processing

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Material PEF parameters Effect of PEF References

Freezing

Baby spinach leaves Two trains of bipolar, Improved freezing tolerance by Demir et al.
rectangular pulses with applying vacuum impregnation and (2018)
amplitude of 350 V, with PEF in the presence of
10 s interval between cryoprotectants
trains. Each train
consisted of 500 pulses
of 200 μs pulse width and
1600 μs of space
between the pulses
(frequency 500 Hz)

Apple tissue 800 V/cm, pulse duration Acceleration of cooling processes; Parniakov et
1000 μs, time interval good preservation of the macro- al. (2016a)
100 ms, 10 pulses shape, inhibition of shrinking,
development of large pores in the
electroporated tissue

Beef muscle 1,4 kV/cm, 20 µs, 50 Hz, Microstructural changes in meat Faridnia et
250 kJ/kg (combined with tissue, improved tenderness and al. (2015b)
freezing and thawing) purge loss

Material PEF parameters Effect of PEF References

Preservation

Fresh berries 2 kV/cm, pulse width The reduction of E. Jin et al.

1 μs and 100 pulses per coli and Listeria (2017)
second for 2, 4 and innocua without changing the
6 min + disinfectant color and appearance of
solution (60 ppm blueberriesThe softening of
peracetic acid [PAA]) the berry structure Conc. of
anthocyanins and phenolic
compounds increased by 10
and 25%, respectively

Peptides isolated from 1800 Hz, 15 kV/cm No changes of the amino acid Lin et al.
pine nuts sequence (2017)

Milk 25.7 kV/cm for 34 μs Inactivation of alkaline Sharma et

after heating to 55 °C and phosphatase. Reduced al. (2017)
maintained for 24 s and xanthine (30%) and plasmin
heat treatment at 63 °C oxidase (7%) activity
for 30 min or at 73 °C for
15 min

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8. Advantages of PEF

 Less treatment time.

 Low treatment temperature.
 Substitute for conventional heat pasteurization or it can operate at room temperature to
retain quality and heat- sensitive vitamins.
 Increase shelf life and maintain food safety with low processing costs.
 Minimally processed foods of fresh quality, which have higher nutritional value
because of colour and flavour retention
 PEF inactivates vegetative micro-organisms including yeasts, spoilage micro-
organisms and pathogens.
 PEF causes the formation of large, permanent pores in cellular tissue which can be
used to improve juice yield, increase concentrations of functional components and
enhance the characteristics of dried produce.
 It can support or replace conventional processing techniques such as enzymatic
maceration and mechanical disintegration.
 PEF can be used as batch and continuous process.
 Used for pretreatment applications for improvement of metabolite extraction.
 Low electric field strength and/ or pulse number causes reversible cell rupture
stimulating a stress reaction in plants

9. Disadvantages of PEF

 High capital cost.

 PEF treatment is effective for the inactivation of vegetative bacteria only.
 Micro-organisms are destroyed by PEF but spores, with their tough protective coats,
and dehydrated cells are able to survive.
 Refrigeration is required to extend shelf-life
 PEF treatment has considerable added value for specific product ranges.
 PEF is a continuous processing method, which is not suitable for solid food products
that are not pump able.
 PEF processing is restricted to food products with no air bubbles and with low electrical
conductivity.

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10. Conclusion
 The objective of food preservation technologies used by the food industry is to control
micro-organisms once they are contaminating foods.
 Food preservation technologies are based on the prevention of microbial growth or on
the microbial inactivation.
 Pulsed electric field (PEF) is a potential non- thermal food preservation technique to
replace conventional thermal processing. \

11. References

1. Nowosad K, Sujka M, Pankiewicz U, Kowalski R. The application of PEF technology

in food processing and human nutrition. J Food Sci Technol. 2021 Feb;58(2):397-411

2. Jin, T., Guo, M., & Zhang, H. Q. (2015). Upscaling from benchtop processing to
industrial scale production: More factors to be considered for pulsed electric field food
processing. Journal of Food Engineering, 146, 72–80.

3. Buckow, R., Ng, S., & Toepfl, S. (2013). Pulsed Electric Field Processing of Orange
Juice: A review on microbial, enzymatic, nutritional, and sensory quality and
stability. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, 12, 455–467.

4. Toepfl S., Heinz V., & Knorr D. (2006). Applications of pulsed electric fields
technology for the food industry. In: Raso J, & Heinz V (eds.). Pulsed Electric Fields
Technology for the Food Industry. Food Engineering Series. Springer, Boston, MA.,
197–221.

5. Mohammed, Maged, Eiss Ayman (2012). Pulsed Electric Fields for Food Processing
Technology, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 51(11): 3338–3344.

6. Zhang, H. Q., Barbosa-Canovas, G., Balasubramaniam, V. M., Dunne, P., Farkas, D.,
& Yuan, J. (eds.). (2011). Nonthermal Processing Technologies for Food. Chicago: IFT
Press, Wiley-Blackwell Publishing.

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