Company insight Cut to the chase
Widely touted as an advantageous technology in food processing, Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) is a continuous process that inactivates microorganisms at low temperatures. Prof. Dr. Stefan Toepfl, managing director at Elea, tells Ingredients Insight how the groups’ specialised team of experts are using PEF to develop a range of novel processing solutions for the food and supplements industry.
What does your role as a food engineer entail on a daily basis? Stefan Toepfl: Food engineers develop processes and equipment for food manufacturing. Linking food as a daily life aspect and technology has always been fascinating to me. I am driven by finding the most efficient solution to achieve a certain processing goal, for example, modifying the structure of a raw material or increasing the safety of various products.
Some years ago, the focus of most projects was on cost reduction. With growing health and environmental awareness, the food industry is undergoing significant changes. Nowadays we see a strong drive towards the use of alternative raw materials, such as plant proteins, as well as using the most efficient and sustainable processing techniques possible.
and industry sectors is also a major part of my role today.
What is a Pulsed Electric Field (PEF)? Pulsed Electric Fields make use of short (microseconds) high-voltage (10 – 30kV) pulses. Electric energy is in a concentrated form and those pulses trigger an effect termed electroporation, creating pores in cell membranes of plant, animal or microbial cells. The effect is volumetric and instantaneous, requiring very low energy input. Alternative processes would be based on mechanical energy or enzymes, which require higher energy levels or holding times. So PEF is a fast and smart way to open cells.
What benefits does PEF give to food development?
In food processing PEF provides myriad benefits. In vegetable processing, for
“Nowadays we see a strong drive towards the use of alternative raw materials, such as plant proteins, as well as using the most efficient and sustainable processing techniques.”
How has your particular role evolved over time? As a PhD student I was looking into food engineering from an academic perspective, trying to find use for a certain technology, improve it and push it into application. While cooperating with industry partners and setting up a business as an equipment and technology supplier, the scope has changed and the thinking turned upside down. Today we are developing solutions and business cases together with our partners from the food industry as well as other equipment suppliers. Team building and fostering interactions across different technology
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example, in French fries or chips, PEF is applied as pre-treatment for cutting improvement. In this regard, PEF has replaced the precooking step – releasing intracellular water makes potatoes softer and easier to cut, and better cutting brings higher yield and product quality. In comparison to heating, less water and energy is needed. Additionally, PEF has allowed us to produce new product shapes as well as to use different or difficult-to-cut raw materials, for example starchy roots for snacks processing. A second application field is the frozen dried or canned vegetable industry, as opening cell membranes
facilitates freezing and drying processes. This effect is utilised for freeze-dried fruit snacks as well as frozen vegetables, such as carrots, peas or beans.
This also occurs in the extraction or infusion applications where PEF allows us to extract valuable components such as colour, sugar or proteins from agricultural products, but also to introduce flavour or functional ingredients. And last but not least, PEF causes a low-heat microbial inactivation, which is used for extending shelf-life of premium quality products such as fruit juices or smoothies.
How is Elea using PEF to continue developing innovative and nutritious products?
Elea is the leading PEF technology supplier. Together with our partners, we are developing processing solutions based on PEF applications for the food industry, as well as related industry sectors, which include biotechnology, cosmetics or water processing. With our specialised team of PEF experts, a fully equipped pilot hall, and a fleet of rental systems, we are running development projects together with industry partners. Besides industrial research, we are involved in early-stage developments with academic partners. Those projects are currently focussing on protein extraction from plants, algae and insects, PEF use in fermentation processes and equipment design.
How many Elea systems have been installed worldwide since 2009? Elea has installed approximately 200 systems for industrial use, focusing on vegetable processing and the fruit juice industry. There are now 30 systems in use at research centres and universities. ●
www.elea-technology.com 109
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