Non-invasive pulsed electric field food processing is a reality

Two essential milestones have recently been achieved in an on-going research programme between Loughborough University (UK) and Pau University (France), aimed at developing a novel non-invasive PEF technology for use in industrial food processing. Firstly, a reliable measurement of the intense fast electric fields generated in water, essential for the non-invasive PEF technique, has been achieved based on the optoelectronic Kerr effect. Secondly, the proof-of-principle demonstration of the new technology has been successful and both electrical and biological results from these experiments will be presented and discussed. During the non-invasive experimental programme only a displacement current of the order hundreds of amperes was generated through water samples in which E coli bacteria was present, compared with the kA conductive current usually required when an invasive technology is adopted. A very significant 6 log reduction in the E coli was measured and the extremely low energy consumption required to achieve this result could be of major benefit for any industrial application. Future developments of the Loughborough-Pau non-invasive PEF program will be outlined.