Continuous Flow Treatment Chamber for Liquid Food Processing Through Pulsed Electric Field

Abstract

In pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment, non-uniform distributions of the electric field and temperature are problematic within a treatment chamber. The helical shape has a favorable feature of flow that facilitates to resolve these issues. This work was performed to determine the optimal design of the helically shaped treatment chamber and its proficiency in the quality and stability of liquid foods. The uniformity of the electric field was evaluated using numerical simulation. The simulations were validated through three different designs of the helical chambers to treat the liquid samples of mango, pineapple, and coconut milk. The consequence of the treatments and the storage time were monitored through physicochemical and microbial analysis of the treated samples. This treatment process causes a temperature rise of less than 10%. The beverages treated inside the helical treatment chamber were stable up to 7 days of storage at ambient storage condition (25 °C) by minimizing quality changes and reducing microbial growth.