Characterization of the electropermeabilization induced by pulsed electric field (PEF) technology and its effect on the ultrasonic-assisted drying of yellow turnip

Abstract

Obtaining snacks from the drying of surplus vegetables is an alternative to reduce waste. A combination of pulsed electric field (PEF) pretreatments and ultrasonic-assisted (US) drying could significantly enhance the process, as this is the aim of this study. PEF pretreatments of yellow turnip significantly affected the cell disintegration index (CDI) and the water holding capacity (WHC): the more intense the PEF treatment, the greater the CDI and the lower the WHC. Both parameters, CDI and WHC, showed a high degree of correlation which indicated that WHC can be an alternative index to CDI to assess PEF effects on food matrices. Regarding yellow turnip drying (40 °C), PEF pretreatments (CDI 0.25 and 0.75) and US application (20.5 kW/m³) significantly accelerated the operation, but it was the combination of both technologies that provided the shortest process (CDI 0.75). PEF could generate changes in the food matrix which enhance the US effects on mass transfer.

Keywords:

• Pulsed electric field
• cell disintegration index
• water holding capacity
• ultrasound
• drying

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported from Agencia Estatal de Investigación by the PID2019‐106148RRC42 and PID2019‐106148RRC43 grants funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033; the PID2022-136889OB-C22 grant funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/ERDF, a way of making Europe, and the PhD grant of Beatriz Llavata from the Universitat Politècnica de València [PAID-01-19].