Pulsed Electric Fields in Food Processing: Fundamental Aspects and Applications

Pulsed Electric Fields (PEF) is one of the nonthermal processing approaches that is receiving considerable attention by scientists, government and the food industry as a potential technique to be fully adopted to process foods at the industrial level. PEF presents a number of advantages including minimal changes to fresh foods, inactivation of a wide range of microorganisms, and enzymes. It also offers the opportunity to develop new food products not feasible through conventional thermal processing. Pulsed Electric Fields in Food Processing: Fundamental Aspects and Applications presents wide-ranging research and the latest developments in this emerging technology. This volume in the Food Preservation Technology Series includes 17 contributions by leading research groups, covering both fundamental and applied aspects of pulsed electric fields. Topics include engineering aspects, key physical properties with measured values in specific foods, detailed studies on the pulsed electric field inactivation of enzymes and microorganisms, comparisons with other technologies for microbial inactivation, shelf stability, sensory analysis, and volatile flavor profile, and an industrial perspective on pulsed electric food processing in relation to safety assurance.