Novel / Non-thermal food preservation (L25-L31)

Modern food technology on the one hand deals with further development of traditional methods, e.g. high-
temperature short time heating or vacuum cooking, and on the other hand with procedures, that
have been taken over from different industry branches and adapted to food processing, e.g.
extrusion, microwave-technology or high pressure treatment. Newly developed food technologies
usually focus on preservation while keeping food quality attributes. Although thermal preservation
provides safer food, there exists loss of food properties like nutrients and sensory attributes. The
main objectives of new techniques are, to retain the nutrients, sensory properties and to increase the
shelf life without any adverse effect on its quality. The other objective of preservation is to increase
the shelf life by reducing the microbial load and also the water activity. Both can be achieved by
either traditional method of preservation methods or by non thermal treatments like
Microwave heating,
Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) Technology,
High Pressure Processing(HPP),
Pulsed Light Technology,
Ohmic Heating,
Irradiation,
Ultra Sonics,
Pulsed X-Rays,
Oscillating Magnetic Fields (OMF).
The selection of particular preservation method for the particular food product is based on the criteria like
cost of production, scale of production, type of product either milk, meat, poultry, fruits or
vegetables, shelf life and end product usage either ready-to eat or ready-to cook product. The non
thermal techniques are recently used for all the food products for shelf life extension.
Objectives of Non thermal food processing are:
• Render foods free of pathogenic & spoilage organisms
• Retain color, flavor
• Improve shelf life
• Improve texture
Non thermal food processing techniques are more suitable for liquid foods than solid and semi-solid
and also for processing of ready-to-cook packed foods. It is also reviewed that uniform distribution
of heat is not achieved in processing of solid foods using new trends in food processing. Investment
cost of new methods of food processing is quite high and it can be applied to large scale industries
when compared to small scale industries. The better quality is achieved in non thermal processing
and its shelf life is also increased by this method.

1. Ohmic heating Ohmic heating is a thermal method that minimizes equipped with several
electrodes. The advantage of ohmic heating is its ability to heat materials rapidly and uniformly,
including products containing particulates.
The principal mechanisms of microbial inactivation in ohmic heating are thermal while some
evidence exists for non-thermal effects of ohmic heating as well. A large number of potential future
applications exist for ohmic heating, including its use in blanching, evaporation, dehydration,
fermentation and extraction.

1 | Non-thermal preservation of foods/class notes by PDS madam/FTPT 201/ 2023

 Ohmic heating is employed in pasteurizing and sterilizing of liquid and particulate foods, especially
of ready-to-serve meals, fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry or fish, and is an alternative to sterilization
of foods by means of conventional heat exchangers or autoclaves. The applicability is limited to
foods with sufficient conductivity.
2. High electric field pulses/ Pulse Electric Field
High intensity pulsed electric field (PEF or HELP) processing involves the application of pulses of
high voltage (typically 20–80 kV/cm) to foods placed between two electrodes. HELP ( High Electric
Liquid Processing) may be applied in the form of exponentially decaying,
Square wave, bipolar, or oscillatory pulses and at ambient, sub-ambient, or slightly above-ambient
temperature for less than 1second.
Energy loss due to heating of foods is minimized, reducing the detrimental changes of the sensory
and physical properties of foods. Microbial inactivation by HELP has been explained by several
theories.
The most studied possibilities are electrical breakdown and electroporation. Electric high-voltage
impulses generate a trans-membrane potential across the cell membrane of, for example, a bacterial
cell which overlays the natural membrane potential.
If the difference between outer and inner membrane potential rises above a critical value of about 1V,
polarisation and in the end breakdown of the membrane is induced.
At sufficient high field-strength (above 10 kV/cm) and duration of the pulses (usually between nano
and microseconds) vegetative micro-organisms in liquid media are inactivated due to irreversible
membrane destruction. Bacterial spores, however, are not inactivated.
Factors that affect the microbial inactivation with HELP are :
1 Process factors (electric field intensity, pulse width, treatment time and temperature and pulse
wave shapes),
2 Microbial entity factors (type, concentration and growth stage of micro-organism) and
3 Media factors (pH, antimicrobials and ionic compounds, conductivity and medium ionic
strength).
Important aspects in pulsed electric field technology are the generation of high electric field
intensities, the design of chambers that impart uniform treatment to foods with a minimum increase
in temperature and the design of electrodes that minimize the effect of electrolysis. Different
laboratory and pilot-scale treatment chambers have been designed and used for HELP treatment of
foods.
Two industrial scale HELP systems are available including treatment chambers and power supply
equipment. HELP has been applied mainly to improve the quality of foods. Application of HELP is
restricted to food products that can withstand high electric fields, i.e. have low electrical
conductivity, and do not contain or form bubbles. The particle size of the liquid food in both static
and flow treatment modes is also a limitation.
Although HELP has potential as a technology for food preservation, existing HELP systems and
experimental conditions are diverse, and conclusions about the effects of critical process
factors on pathogens of concern and kinetics of inactivation need to be further studied. Based on
practical experience from pilot plants employment of HELP will mainly be in the sparing
pasteurization of liquid foods e.g. juices, milk or liquid whole egg. Conclusive data on the
absence of potential health risks or on the impact of the process on food components are hardly
available yet.
3. Light pulses
Pulsed light is a method of food preservation that involves the use of intense and short-duration
pulses of broad spectrum ‘‘white light’’ (ultraviolet to the near infrared region). For most
applications, a few flashes applied in a fraction of a second provide a high level of microbial
inactivation. This technology is applicable mainly in sterilizing or reducing the microbial population
2 | Non-thermal preservation of foods/class notes by PDS madam/FTPT 201/ 2023
 on packaging or food surfaces. It could be shown that light-impulses are able to extend the
durability of bread, cakes and pastries, sea food or meat. As light pulses penetrate certain packaging
materials, wrapped items also can be treated. Still there is a need of independent research on the
inactivation kinetics under a full spectrum of representative variables of food systems and surfaces.
4. Oscillating magnetic fields
Experiments have shown, that strong static (SMF) or oscillating (OMF) magnetic fields (5–50
Tesla) have the energy input and thus reduces thermal damage to food. If an electric current is
passing through a conductive medium, in this case the food, the medium warms up as a result of the
movement of ions. The conductive electric resistance heating—ohmic heating—utilises the effect
of the electrical resistance within a conductive liquid or solid material. In this manner a direct
conversion of electric energy into heat takes place. In production plants the product is continuously
pumped through a column potential to inactivate vegetative micro-organisms. The impulse duration
is between 10 ms and several miili seconds.
The frequencies are maximally 500 MHz , because above that value the items begin to warm
Up noticeably. Preservation of foods with OMF involves sealing food in a plastic bag and subjecting
it to 1–100pulses in an OMF at temperature of 0 to 50 ºC for a total exposure time ranging from 25
to 100 ms. The effects of magnetic fields on microbial populations have produced controversial
results. Before considering this technology for food preservation purposes consistent results
concerning the efficacy of the method are needed.
5. Ultrasound
Ultrasonic waves (energy generated by sound waves of 20,000 Hz or more) generate gas bubbles in
Liquid media, that produce a high temperature-and pressure increase when they immediately burst.
The bactericidal effect of ultrasound is attributed to intracellular cavitation ,that is, micro-mechanical
shocks that disrupt cellular structural and functional components up to the point of cell lysis. Critical
processing factors are the nature of the ultrasonic waves, the exposure time with the microorganisms,
the type of micro-organism, the volume of food to be processed, the composition of the food, and the
temperature. The effects, however, are not severe enough for a sufficient reduction of micro-
organisms so most applications use combinations with other preservation methods. Because of the
complexity and sometimes protective nature of the food the singular use of ultrasound as a
preservation method is impracticable. Although ultrasound technology has a wide range of current
and future applications in the food industry, including inactivation of micro-organisms and enzymes,
presently, most developments for food applications are non-microbial. There are not many data on
inactivation of food micro-organisms by ultrasound. Research activities centered on the combination
of ultrasound with other preservation processes (e.g. heat and mild pressure) which appear to have
the greatest potential for industrial applications.
6. High pressure processing
The technology of high pressure processing (HPP), also referred to as ultra high pressure UHP) or
High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) has been known to be a potential preservation technique for more
than a century; for instance, microbial spoilage of milk could be delayed by high pressure.
Technical-scientific progress has led to a renaissance of food pasteurization by hydrostatic high
pressure recently. A range of pressure-treated products has already been introduced into the markets
of Japan, France, Spain and USA. HPP subjects liquid and solid foods, with or without packaging, to
pressures between 100 and 800MPa. Process temperature during pressure treatment can be from
below 0ᵒC to above 100ᵒC. Exposure times can range from a few seconds to over 20 min. Food
treated in this way has been shown to keep its original freshness, colour, flavour and taste.
HPP acts instantaneously and uniformly throughout a mass of food independent of size, shape and
food composition. Compression will increase the temperature of foods approximately 3ᵒC per 100
MPa and may also shift the pH of the food as a function of imposed pressure.

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 Pressure pasteurization is feasible also at room temperature and energy saving as compared to heat
treatment. Water activity and pH are critical process factors in the inactivation of microbes by HPP.
An increase in food temperature above room temperature and to a lesser extent a decrease below
room temperature in some cases increases the inactivation rate of micro-organisms during HPP
treatment.
Temperatures in the range of 45– 50°C appear to increase the rate of inactivation of food pathogens
and spoilage microbes. Temperatures ranging from 90 to 110°C in conjunction with pressures of
500–700 MPa have been used to inactivate spore-forming bacteria such as Clostridium botulinum.
Current pressure processes include batch and semi-continuous systems.
Besides destruction of micro-organisms there are further influences of pressure on food materials to
be expected:
Protein denaturation or modification, enzyme activation or inactivation, changes in enzyme–
substrate interactions, changes in the properties of polymer carbohydrates and fats.

Generally any process and any reaction in food to which the principle of Le Chatelier applies are of
interest. According to this principle, under equilibrium conditions, a process associated with a
decrease in volume is favoured by pressure, and vice versa. An increase of pressure has been found
to change the reaction rate of chemical reactions in solution
High pressure, on the other hand, has for long been a means of manipulating organic-chemical
reactions. High pressure influences organic reactions in general. So at pressures >500 MPa which are
employed for food sterilisation chemical reactions in the food are to be expected which may be of
desirable character or not.

The main problem with the thermal processing of food is loss of volatile compounds, nutrients, and
flavour. To overcome these problems non thermal methods came into food industries to increase
production rate and profitability. The non thermal processing is used for all foods for its better
quality, acceptance, and for its shelf life. The new processing techniques are mostly employed to the
liquid packed foods when compared to solid foods. Since the non thermal methods are used for bulk
quantities of foods, these methods of food preservation are mainly used in the large scale production.
The cost of equipments used in the non-thermal processing is high when compared to equipments
used in thermal processing. After minimizing the investment costs of non thermal processing
methods, it can also be employed in small scale industries.
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4 | Non-thermal preservation of foods/class notes by PDS madam/FTPT 201/ 2023