Stuttgart 2012 – scientific programme

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P: Fachverband Plasmaphysik

P 17: Laserplasmen und innovative Anwendungen

P 17.6: Talk

Thursday, March 15, 2012, 11:45–12:00, V55.01

Pulsed Electric Fields in Food Processing: Equipment Design and Commercial Applications — •Stefan Töpfl — DIL e.V., Quakenbrück, Germany

Pulsed electric fields allow a short-time, low energy disintegration of plant and vegetable tissue as well as microbial inactivation in liquids. For plant and vegetable tissue an increase of juice or oil yield during pressing or extraction is observed. In addition, the techniques impact on textural properties allows a targeted modification of structural properties, e.g. to enhance cutting performance. Low energy and time requirements are major benefits in comparison to a mechanical grinding or a thermo-break application. To allow a preservation of heat sensitive liquids, the inactivation of target strains as well as naturally occurring microorganisms in orange juice, mango and melon puree as well as smoothies has been evaluated. An inactivation of 4 to 5 log cycles has been achieved, while maintaining the fresh-like product characteristics. An increase of shelf life from 7 to 21 days has been obtained. Since 2011 the technique is used in an industrial scale. Pulsed power systems for food treatment with an average power of up to 80 kW has been developed. At present a capacity of up to 50 t/h can be achieved. During the presentation application examples will be shown and the technical, commercial and legal framework discussed.