NONTHERMAL FOOD PRESERVATION - PULSED ELECTRIC-FIELDS

The use of electric discharges to inactivate microorganisms and enzyme s in food products has evolved since the 1920s from the 'ElectroPure p rocess' (ohmic heating process) to the use of high-intensity pulsed el ectric fields in the 1990s. The non-thermal inactivation of microorgan isms and enzymes using electric fields was demonstrated in the 1960s w ith a variety of microorganisms suspended in simulated food systems. A variety of liquid foods and beverages, including orange, apple and pe ach juices, pea soup, beaten eggs and skim milk, has been successfully processed during the 1980s and 1990s by several research groups. Litt le by little, the food industry is demonstrating increasing interest i n this promising emerging technology; furthermore, it is expected that it will soon be adopted to process several liquid food products.