Two-Step PEF Processing for Enhancing the Polyphenol Concentration and Decontaminating a Red Grape Juice

Pulsed electric field technology in vegetable and fruit juice processing: A review

The worldwide market for vegetable and fruit juices stands as a thriving sector with projected revenues reaching to $81.4 billion by 2024 and an anticipated annual growth rate of 5.27% until 2028. Juices offer a convenient means of consuming bioactive compounds and essential nutrients crucial for human health. However, conventional thermal treatments employed in the juice and beverage industry to inactivate spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms, as well as endogenous enzymes, can lead to the degradation of bioactive compounds and vitamins. In response, non-thermal technologies have emerged as promising alternatives to traditional heat processing, with pulsed electric field (PEF) technology standing out as an innovative and sustainable choice. In this context, this comprehensive review investigated the impact of PEF on the microbiological, physicochemical, functional, nutritional, and sensory qualities of vegetable and fruit juices. PEF induces electroporation phenomena in cell membranes, resulting in reversible or irreversible changes. Consequently, a detailed examination of the effects of PEF process variables on juice properties is essential. Monitoring factors such as electric field strength, frequency, pulse width, total treatment time, and specific energy is important to ensure the production of a safe and chemically/kinetically stable product. PEF technology proves effective in microbial and enzymatic inactivation within vegetable and fruit juices, mitigating factors contributing to deterioration while maintaining the physicochemical characteristics of these products. Furthermore, PEF treatment does not compromise the content of substances with functional, nutritional, and sensory properties, such as phenolic compounds and vitamins. When compared to alternative processing methods, such as mild thermal treatments and other non-thermal technologies, PEF treatment consistently demonstrates comparable outcomes in terms of physicochemical attributes, functional properties, nutritional quality, and overall safety.

Polyphenol Extraction from Food (by) Products by Pulsed Electric Field: A Review

Nowadays, more and more researchers engage in studies regarding the extraction of bioactive compounds from natural sources. To this end, plenty of studies have been published on this topic, with the interest in the field growing exponentially. One major aim of such studies is to maximize the extraction yield and, simultaneously, to use procedures that adhere to the principles of green chemistry, as much as possible. It was not until recently that pulsed electric field (PEF) technology has been put to good use to achieve this goal. This new technique exhibits many advantages, compared to other techniques, and they have successfully been reaped for the production of extracts with enhanced concentrations in bioactive compounds. In this advancing field of research, a good understanding of the existing literature is mandatory to develop more advanced concepts in the future. The aim of this review is to provide a thorough discussion of the most important applications of PEF for the enhancement of polyphenols extraction from fresh food products and by-products, as well as to discuss the current limitations and the prospects of the field.