Food preservation by pulsed electric fields: From research to application

Reviews the current status of PEF technology with an overview of the process and its history, discusses the technology involved, and focuses on important product safety and quality issues such as the impact on food enzymes and shelf life.

Pulsed electric field (PEF) food processing is a novel, non-thermal preservation method that has the potential to produce foods with excellent sensory and nutritional quality and shelf-life. This important book reviews the current status of the technology, from research into product safety and technology development to issues associated with its commercial implementation.

Introductory chapters provide an overview of the process and its history. Part one then discusses the technology of PEF food preservation, with chapters on circuitry and pulse shapes, chamber design and technical and safety requirements. The second part of the book focuses on important product safety and quality issues such as probable mechanisms of microbial inactivation by PEF, adaptation potential of microorganisms treated by this method, toxicological aspects, the impact on food enzymes and shelf life. Chapters in the final part of the book cover topics relating to the commercialisation of the technology, including current and future applications, pitfalls, economic issues and scaling up, and public and regulatory acceptance.

Food preservation by pulsed electric fields will be a standard reference for all those involved in research into PEF food processing and its commercialisation.

Contents

• Preservation of food by pulsed electric fields: an introduction
• History of pulsed electric field treatment

Part 1 Technology

• Circuitry and pulse shapes
• Chamber design
• Electrochemistry
• Hygienic design
• Technical and occupational safety requirements when treating foods by pulsed electric fields

Part 2 Product safety and quality

• Microbial inactivation kinetics
• Probable mechanisms of microbial inactivation
• Adaptation potential of microorganisms treated
• Hurdle technology and preservation of food
• Validating the safety of foods
• Toxicological aspects
• Impact of pulsed electric fields on food enzymes and shelf life

Part 3 Applications

• Public acceptance of pulsed electric fields processing
• Economic aspects of pulsed electric fields treatment of food
• Applications of pulsed electric fields processing of food
• Pitfalls of pulsed electric fields processing
• Technologies related to pulsed electric fields processing and their potential
• Future potential of pulsed electric fields: treatment of bacterial pores, emulsions and packed products
• Definitions and guidelines for reporting on experiments
• Scaling up of equipment
• Regulatory acceptance

ISBN: 978 1 84569 058 8