PEF (Pulsed Electric Fields), also called electroporation, is a technology within food processing in which plant and animal cells are exposed to short and targeted electrical pulses. This changes the cell membrane, temporarily "opening" the pores.
There are various areas of application for PEF in the food sector. On the one hand, the opening of pores has the effect that the respective ingredients can be extracted more easily, for example when extracting juice or oil. On the other hand, undesirable substances can also escape more easily. "A potato, for example, loses excess water through cell disruption, which softens the potato structure and positively influences further processing in all subsequent production steps," says a company spokesperson. The company, based in Quakenbrück, Lower Saxony, is one of the leading suppliers of this technology in the international food sector.
Established in the potato industry
PEF has become very well established in the potato processing industry as a technical process for pretreating raw materials, it also says. "Chip and fry manufacturers benefit from higher product yields, cost savings and improved product quality. PEF is also increasingly used in other vegetable-processed processes," explained Sabrina Niemeyer, spokesperson for Elea Technology, to FreshPlaza.
PEF makes the surface of the raw material smoother and the structure more flexible. This significantly improves the cut appearance of the vegetables, she said, and there is less breakage and cutting loss. Says Niemeyer, "A smooth surface, due to the uniform pore formation created by PEF, enables gentler and shorter frying, blanching and freezing of the products, which in turn leads to significant savings in energy consumption."
Two-day on-site event
But PEF brings many new product possibilities not only in processing, but also in the use of the end product, he said. The flexibility gained by the otherwise rather stiff vegetables enables completely new cuts and shapes, she said. In 2019, for example, PEF made it possible for the Elea company to produce the world's longest French fries.
Niemeyer concludes: "It is worth getting to know the technology of pulsating electric fields better. Elea Technology always offer the opportunity to experience the technology for yourself, whether in an in-house webinar, during the Elea PEF Advantage Days in Quakenbrück, or even during an individual visit with a private product demonstration."
For more information:
Elea Vertriebs- und Vermarktungsgesellschaft mbH
Sabrina Niemeyer
Professor-von-Klitzing-Straße 9
49610 Quakenbrück
Phone: +49 5431 92629 80
[email protected]
www.elea-technology.com