Pulsed electric field technology in food preservation: a review

Abstract

Traditional food processing approaches like cooking, freezing, refrigeration and blanching are commonly known methods and are generally used by the people in their homes. However, in the food processing industries these techniques are combined with other processing operations with the help of several contemporary process-technology plants by using different technical prospects that are not commonly practiced by consumers during household processing. Modern food technology deals with the development of conventional processing methods such as high-temperature short time heating or vacuum cooking, as well as several other approaches like high pressure treatment, extrusion, pulsed electric field technology and microwave processing. These modern technologies usually emphasize on food preservation with maximum retention of food quality attributes and nutrients. Therefore the frequently used concept of ‘‘minimal processing’’ is not absolutely apt, since actually the principle ‘‘as little as possible, but as much as necessary’’ is meant [1].