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<p>The growing demand for high-quality, minimally processed foods with fresh-like attributes has increased the use of non-thermal processing technologies that minimise thermal degradation of nutrients, flavour, and sensory properties. Pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) technology has become one of the promising, energy-efficient, and environmentally friendly methods of intervention in agri-food systems. This review describes the pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) technology and provides a comprehensive, commodity-wise synthesis of its applications across primary production, post-harvest handling, and food processing operations. Applications of PEMF have been reported in fruits, vegetables, dairy products, meat, fish, cereals and oilseeds, demonstrating potential to enhance microbial stability, enzymatic activity, freezing behaviour, and structural integrity while largely preserving nutritional and sensory quality. In addition, this review critically evaluates the influence of processing parameters and food matrix characteristics on PEMF effectiveness and compares its performance with other non-thermal technologies. Reported studies indicate that optimised PEMF treatments can improve microbial control, enhance physicochemical stability, and support quality retention, although responses remain highly dependent on treatment conditions and product composition. Despite this growing interest, PEMF research in food systems remains limited and fragmented, particularly in comparison with more established non-thermal technologies such as pulsed electric field (PEF) and high-pressure processing (HPP), highlighting the need for systematic investigation under real food matrix conditions and standardised processing parameters. Key challenges include the absence of standardised processing conditions and the lack of pilot- and industrial-scale validation. Future research should focus on process optimisation, scale-up studies, and comprehensive quality and safety assessments to enable the effective implementation of PEMF as a sustainable non-thermal technology for next-generation food processing applications.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>

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Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) and its Intervention in Agri-food Systems

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年5月16日

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  • Swathika B. S.,
  • Naveen Kumar B.,
  • Kavya M.,
  • Sutharsan J.,
  • Mahendran Radhakrishnan

摘要

The growing demand for high-quality, minimally processed foods with fresh-like attributes has increased the use of non-thermal processing technologies that minimise thermal degradation of nutrients, flavour, and sensory properties. Pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) technology has become one of the promising, energy-efficient, and environmentally friendly methods of intervention in agri-food systems. This review describes the pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) technology and provides a comprehensive, commodity-wise synthesis of its applications across primary production, post-harvest handling, and food processing operations. Applications of PEMF have been reported in fruits, vegetables, dairy products, meat, fish, cereals and oilseeds, demonstrating potential to enhance microbial stability, enzymatic activity, freezing behaviour, and structural integrity while largely preserving nutritional and sensory quality. In addition, this review critically evaluates the influence of processing parameters and food matrix characteristics on PEMF effectiveness and compares its performance with other non-thermal technologies. Reported studies indicate that optimised PEMF treatments can improve microbial control, enhance physicochemical stability, and support quality retention, although responses remain highly dependent on treatment conditions and product composition. Despite this growing interest, PEMF research in food systems remains limited and fragmented, particularly in comparison with more established non-thermal technologies such as pulsed electric field (PEF) and high-pressure processing (HPP), highlighting the need for systematic investigation under real food matrix conditions and standardised processing parameters. Key challenges include the absence of standardised processing conditions and the lack of pilot- and industrial-scale validation. Future research should focus on process optimisation, scale-up studies, and comprehensive quality and safety assessments to enable the effective implementation of PEMF as a sustainable non-thermal technology for next-generation food processing applications.

Graphical Abstract