Pulsed electric field technology - Shelf life extension of milk

Application of Pulsed Electric field (PEF) in food processing is one of the innovative non thermal technologies which can be used as an alternative to traditional thermal processing. The nutritional and sensory qualities of the food are altered in thermal processing. As pulsed electric field inactivates microorganisms at ambient temperatures, organoleptic and nutritional properties of the food are retained in liquid foods such as milk, fruit juices. When compared to thermal processing, PEF processing is more energy efficient, as the processing time is only for few seconds. This study investigates the shelf life studies of raw milk processed using PEF technology. The quality control tests were done and physico –chemical parameters were analysed after PEF processing. A mean value of 26.17±1.3 was obtained for shelf life (in days) after PEF processing. The mean values of 6.58 ± 0.02 to 6.25 ± 0.02 and 0.14 ± 0.00 to 0.18± 0.01 were obtained for pH and acidity respectively during the 1st week to 4th week of storage. Pulsed electric field technology has shown positive effects on inactivating pathogenic bacteria and reducing the number of spoilage microorganisms in milk.