Pulsed electric field: A potential alternative towards a sustainable food processing

Abstract

Background: Sustainable food supply is a primary concern for food industries, governments, and international agencies worldwide. Food industries are under continuous pressure to develop processing technologies that simultaneously preserve the nutritional value of foods, improve the bio-accessibility of nutrients, environment friendly and meet consumers' demands of sensory attributes. Furthermore, increasing population and inadequate cultivable land also demand transformations in the existing food processing techniques. Therefore, minimizing food wastages, sustainable developments in preservation, nutrient security, and food safety are essential elements for future requirements. Scope and approach: This study refers to the roles of the pulsed electric field (PEF) in sustainable food processing systems. It also discusses the effects of this emerging technology on achieving the critical industrial goals of enhanced food quality, decreased water usage, reduced emissions, increased energy efficiency, and the ability to utilize by-products from waste food. The current study also emphasizes the need to understand factors that may limit this emerging technology's industrial uptake. Key findings and conclusions: A combined multi-dimensional methodology through the entire food supply is essential to meet the worldwide food processing challenges. A limited worldwide food resource must have a balanced methodology for raw material, water, energy, and nutrient content. PEF technology fulfils significant needs for sustainable food processing as requires fewer resources to produce quantities of existing foods that are nutritionally suitable for advancing health and wellbeing, long shelf lives, and transportable.