Trends, Recent Advances, and Application of Pulsed Electric Field in Food Processing: A Review

Generally, thermal inputs dominate the food processing industry for food preservation. Pulsed electric field (PEF) is one of the most promising nonthermal microorganism-killing techniques. The most important factors in PEF processing are electric field strength and treatment duration. At the laboratory level, encouraging results are reported; however, industrialization raises the cost of the command charging power supply and the high-speed electrical switch. In this review, the results of previous experimental studies on PEFs and proposed future research directions in this field are discussed. There is currently no successful PEF processing system for industrial applications. Those who wish to promote the industrial application of the PEF processing system face a significant barrier in the form of the system's high initial cost of installation. Innovative developments in high-voltage pulse technology will reduce the cost of pulse generation and make PEF processing competitive with thermal processing methods.