Scientists at Omsk State Technological University have proposed a new method of processing food, which allows to extend its life, in contrast to the heat treatment method.
It does not deteriorate its nutritional value, taste and color. The article was published in the Journal of Food Science and Technology.
The researchers from Omsk University said that heat treatment of products has traditionally been used as an effective method of preservation, ensuring safety, but at the same time reducing the nutritional and biological value of products and altering their taste.
And now non-heat treatment methods are gaining more and more popularity, which allows to preserve useful properties and significantly extend the life of products.
According to the scientists, they were able to devise a new non-caloric way to preserve food raw materials. The study lasted 6 months within the framework of the strategic academic leadership program "Priority 2030". The study was conducted by employees of the two departments of Omsk State Technological University: the Department "Biotechnology, Restaurant Technology and Commodity Science" and the Center for Scientific and Educational Resources "Nanotechnologies".
Maxim Shadrin, Head of the Department of Biotechnology and Food Technology at Omsk University, said that the scientists explained that the pulsed electric field technology has priority, compared to heat treatment, as it does not eliminate microorganisms, but rather better preserves the nutritional value, ingredients, taste and color for raw foods. This technology involves running high-voltage pulses for a short time and sending them to a semi-solid product placed between two electrodes.”
The advantages of this method, compared to other non-thermal methods, are speed (processing within one micro or millisecond), energy savings (about 90% per technological process), and improved quality indicators of the final product.
For example, when processing potatoes and producing French fries, this technology helps soften the raw material, allowing for better cutting. As a result, we get a smooth cut with less surface damage and breakage. All this leads to an increase in the final production volume and a decrease in oil consumption. The diffusion of water for processed raw materials helps to improve the bleaching, drying and frying process, which in turn reduces energy and production costs.
Shadrin explained that each product has such subtleties: dairy products, meat, vegetables, and so on.