Pulsed Electric Field Extraction

An efficient nonthermal food processing method is called pulsed electric field processing. It involves applying a short-duration, high-voltage pulse to a food product that is sandwiched between the two electrodes. This method is used for microbial inactivation in food, making them last longer without the need for preservatives or thermal treatments. This method results in many benefits for foods, such as protection of their original nutritional value, taste, color, freshness, and flavor. Apart from these common benefits, there are many other benefits of pulsed electric field (PEF) for specific foods. The PEF treatment can increase the number of bioactive substances that can be extracted from plant tissues and their by-products, including vitamins, minerals, polyphenols, anthocyanins, and plant oil, as well as the soluble intracellular matter from microorganisms. In this chapter, we examine how the PEF method is used in the extraction of bioactive compounds as well as their applications in the food and nutraceutical industries.