Food processing by pulsed electric fields: Treatment delivery, inactivation level, and regulatory aspects

Abstract Industrial implementation of pulsed electric field electro-technology (PEF) for food preservation has been rather slow, despite its potential to produce safe, nutritious and high-quality products. Several research groups around the world are in a race to validate and optimize the operation of PEF systems. Insufficient kinetic studies and inaccurate treatment delivery assessment are some of the main obstacles to the implementation of this technology. Equivalency among PEF systems, treatment delivery and control variables need to be clearly defined before actual industrial implementation takes place. Limited commercial availability of PEF systems, mainly due to the complexity and high cost of pulsers, and to technical and economical limitations of the scaling-up process, reflects into high initial investment and operation costs. This paper reviews the state of the art on the above-mentioned issues, and also discusses engineering, biological, and regulatory aspects that should be considered for optimization and commercial implementation of PEF as a food preservation technology.