Why PEF?
Why use pulsed electric field (PEF) processing?
Improve your processes and products
Pulsed electric field processing or electroporation can significantly improve your processes and your product quality, utilizing its impact on cell membranes. The disintegration of biological tissue is a key function in food processing to enhance winning of valuable intracellular compounds from cells. By permeabilizing cell membranes PEF enables tissue softening and enhanced mass transport, resulting in improved extraction, improved cutting, easier peeling and various other process and product improvements, variety depended.
Mild preservation at low temperature
Moreover, PEF is an excellent technique for mild preservation of beverages and liquid foods. PEF can be used to pasteurize pumpable fluids such as juices, dairy products and soups without using additives. At sufficient high intensity PEF treatment inactivates vegetative micro-organisms including yeasts, spoilage micro-organisms and pathogens.
The retention of vitamins, antioxidants and pigments gives a healthier, fresher and more appetizing product. Temperatures are much lower than with conventional heat pasteurization. Pulsemaster has developed different concepts to avoid or minimize product temperature increase, including heat recovery after PEF treatment.
PEF sec has a limited effect on enzymes. The products have to be kept cool as enzymes are not fully inactivated.
Pulsed electric field treatment is a continuous process and after PEF processing, products need to be packed. This can be done by a cold fill, hot fill, semi-aseptically or aseptically.
Results of PEF processing
Expected results of PEF processing are:
- Reduced energy and water consumption for slow mass transport processes
- Increased extraction or pressing yields of oils, juices and valuable components such as proteins and antioxidants
- Improved cut quality of potato, vegetable and fruit products
- Easier peeling of vegetables and fruits
- Shorter drying times of potato, vegetable, fruit and meat products
- Higher nutritional and functional value of pasteurized beverages and liquid foods