Innovation is the driving force behind the food and beverage industry, constantly pushing boundaries to deliver new and exciting products. One such breakthrough technology that has been making waves in recent years is electroporation. By harnessing the power of electrical pulses, electroporation has opened up a world of possibilities for food scientists and manufacturers.
Electroporation is a biophysical phenomenon in which cell membrane permeability is increased through pulsed electric fields (PEF). This increased membrane permeability can be useful in many applications in biotechnology, medicine and the food and beverage industry.
From intensifying flavours to improving food safety and extending shelf life, this remarkable technology is transforming the way we produce, process, and consume food and drinks.
Elea Technology’s PEF Advantage B 1000-850 – the company’s highest capacity belt system capable of processing up to 110 tons per hour of roots, tubers and fruits. ©Elea Technology
Flavour is the backbone of any successful food or beverage product. Electroporation offers an innovative approach to intensifying and modifying flavours. By subjecting food ingredients to brief pulses of electricity, electroporation creates microscopic pores in cell membranes, allowing flavours to penetrate deep within the tissue.
This technique enables the incorporation of flavours that were previously challenging to achieve, resulting in enhanced taste profiles and more tantalising sensory experiences. From infused fruits and vegetables to meat marinades and spirits, the possibilities for flavour experimentation with electroporation are boundless.
Improving nutritional value
Consumers today are increasingly conscious of the nutritional content of their food and beverages. Electroporation offers a promising avenue for enhancing the nutritional value of products. By using electric pulses to permeabilise cell membranes, the bioavailability of essential nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, can be significantly improved.
This means that the body can absorb these nutrients more effectively, leading to attractive on-pack claims for manufacturers and enhanced nutritional benefits for consumers. Whether it’s fortifying beverages with vitamins or boosting the nutritional profile of plant-based alternatives, electroporation allows for the creation of healthier and more nutritious food and drink options.
Germany-based Elea Technology is a global supplier of PEF systems to the food, beverage and scientific sectors. The company says that its PEF food processing systems enhance production lines, improve the quality of products and provide savings in time and energy.
“PEF opens the cells of fresh produce resulting in significant increases in yield, freshness, flavour and nutritional preservation.”
Elea Pulsed Electric Field systems use precise and targeted electrical pulses to open the cell membrane (electroporation) of raw products. It’s a clean, gentle and targeted process that can be used to benefit a broad range of products.
“Radical” opportunities
The company says PEF applies to a broad range of products, “where quality counts, [PEF] will become the technology of choice within the industry”. From retaining freshness and improving cutting, to increasing sugar yield and the extraction of healthy compounds and colours, to controlling fermentation, Elea Technology’s electroporation solutions span all corners of the food and beverage industry.
PEF can alter the physical structure of fresh produce, to allow for new applications and uses. Targeted electrical pulses can open the cell membrane with no adverse effects to produce, creating “radical” new opportunities for food. Elea Technology gives the example of a string made from a single potato that had its structure altered using PEF. The potato had the strength and flexibility to maintain its structural integrity and provide new opportunities for product development.
Elea Technology says new shapes, cuts and snack opportunities could arise as a result of using PEF on plant cells and that PEF-treated raw materials are stronger, longer, much more flexible, easier and cheaper to process than those not treated with PEF.
PEF has various effects on many different food items. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, tubers and other root vegetables pass through the PEF systems to become better fries, crisps, chips and other snacks. This is because the machines can increase colour vibrancy, improve the development of dramatic shapes, enhance cutting ability, produce a less feathered, smoother surface and improve texture and crispiness.
A smoother product surface reduces oil uptake which results in a healthier snack with a better mouthfeel. Less feathering enables better adhesion and distribution of seasoning and flavouring. This can all be achieved with the electroporation process.
Drying process
PEF can also produce better dried fruits and vegetables, leading to higher quality dried products with increased form stability and less shrinkage, while retaining taste, colour and aroma.
As PEF opens cell membranes, it increases internal diffusion and provides greater control over the drying process, which improves stability and creates a more appetising product.
Better shape preservation with PEF treatment produces a more open product structure, enhancing rehydration. For example, PEF-treated freeze-dried fruits rehydrate almost instantly with a 20% increase in rehydration capacity.
PEF enables energy savings with reduced drying time and lower drying temperatures. For example, Elea Technology says that PEF-assisted hot air onion drying can enable a reduction of the drying time by approximately 20%, coupled with a reduction in the temperature of 10°C in the last drying section. This results in a product of higher quality, with retained natural aroma, a more intense flavour and much better shape stability.
©Elea Technology
Extending freshness
One of the most significant challenges in the food and beverage industry is maintaining product freshness and extending shelf life without the use of chemical preservatives. Electroporation offers a non-thermal preservation technique that helps achieve these objectives.
By subjecting food to precise electrical pulses, electroporation disrupts the cell structure of spoilage microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi, without affecting the quality or taste of the product.
This process helps to extend shelf life, reduce food waste, and eliminate the need for synthetic preservatives. Electroporation has already found applications in preserving fruit juices, dairy products and even fresh-cut produce, revolutionising food safety standards.
Untreated dried fruit on left and Elea’s PEF-treated fruit on right. ©Elea Technology
In addition to its numerous benefits for food quality and safety, electroporation also contributes to manufacturers’ sustainability efforts. Traditional thermal processing methods, such as pasteurisation, can consume significant amounts of energy. Electroporation, on the other hand, is a non-thermal technique that operates at lower temperatures, reducing energy consumption during processing. This makes it an attractive option for manufacturers looking to minimise their environmental footprint while maintaining high-quality products.
Clean label
Consumer demand for clean-label products continues to rise as people seek transparency and natural ingredients. Electroporation aligns with this trend by offering a clean-label alternative to traditional processing techniques.
By avoiding the use of chemical additives and preservatives, electroporation allows manufacturers to produce food and beverages with minimal processing and an ingredient list that resonates with health-conscious consumers. This technology helps create clean, natural, and wholesome products that meet the evolving preferences of modern consumers.
Electroporation is not only transforming the way we create and consume food and drinks but is also driving sustainability efforts in the industry. By operating at lower temperatures and reducing energy consumption during processing, this non-thermal technique offers an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional methods. Moreover, electroporation aligns with the rising demand for clean-label products, allowing manufacturers to produce natural, minimally processed goods that cater to the preferences of health-conscious consumers.
With its ability to enhance flavours, improve nutritional value, extend freshness, and contribute to a cleaner and more sustainable food industry, electroporation is undoubtedly revolutionising the F&B landscape and paving the way for a tastier and healthier future.
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2024
