Current Applications and Challenges of Induced Electric Fields for the Treatment of Foods

As consumers increasingly prefer “all-natural” and healthy foods, there has been increasing demand for non-toxic, residual-free, and environmentally friendly food processing techniques. Researchers and developers have shown increasing interest in innovative electrical processing techniques for the treatment of foods. Among electrotechnologies, induced electric fields (IEF) demonstrates the potential advantages to food processing. It combined with thermal effect and non-thermal effect has been explored for sterilization, modification, and extraction of agro-food materials. It is a sister electrotechnology of ohmic heating, which does not require the use of electrodes. Despite valuable contributions to the literature, there still lack of knowledge regarding the application of IEF treatment to food products. It has proven effective in inactivating microorganisms and enzymes in foods, changing biomacromolecule contents, extracting active constituents, and enhancing chemical reactions. This paper provides an overview of current application of IEFs in the treatment of foods. Issues relevant to electric field processing (e.g., basic principles, formulas) are also examined as they affect IEF techniques. Future perspectives and challenges related to technological application of IEFs are outlined in an effort to fill research gaps. IEF processing is projected to become a key technology in the food industry.