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News

Pulsed Electric Field in tomato peeling

13/07/2018 - François-Xavier Branthôme - Lire en français
The FieldFOOD Project: Exploring the use of Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) technology in the food industry

Over the last two decades, scientists have done a lot of research into the use of PEF for foods, which improves food quality and food safety, optimizes process efficiency, reduces energy costs and stimulates the introduction of new products.
PEF is a non-thermal technology for food processing based on the application of repetitive short pulses of electric field to the biological cells of plants. The technology is especially fit for small- and medium-sized food processing companies, however the lack of industrial-scale equipment and the high costs involved have limited its commercial use in the food industry.

Therefore, in April 2015, the 3-year FieldFOOD project was launched to provide innovative solutions to overcome these bottlenecks. Supported by the EU Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme, the project brought together 12 entities from 8 European countries, including 5 SMEs.
As part of the initiative, modular, portable, low-cost PEF generators were installed in the processing plants of the partner SMEs to test and validate the technology in five applications: olive oil, fruit juices, tomato peeling, cider and red wine.
About PEF technology
Short, high voltage electrical pulses are used to perforate cell membranes. Electroporation can be used to permeabilize biological membranes including to inactivate microorganisms, enhance raw material properties for subsequent processing or modify the food structure. PEF treatment has similar effects in foods as conventional heating, but is gentler on the food matrix without a lasting thermal load. It can complement or replace existing traditional food processing technologies.

PEF treatment can also be used to modify the structure of food by breaking down the cell membrane barriers in plant or animal tissue. It leads to tissue softening, easier and lower energy cutting and increased process speed and capacity. This results in more efficient product handling and manufacturing, a higher quality product and exciting new product development.
Steam peeling of tomatoes
Steam peeling coupled with vacuum cooling and pinch roller is a physical alternative to the hot lye peeling of tomatoes. Heating the tomatoes from a few seconds to 1 minute with pressurized steam weakens the tomato skin through the flash vaporization of water under the skin. During vacuum cooling, the increased vapor pressure under the skin promotes peel cracking. This is required for the effective mechanical removal of peels with the pinch roller.
Unlike hot lye peeling, steam peeling with vacuum cooling does not cause serious environmental problems. However, it can result in a loss in product firmness, reduced peeling yields, and excessive water and energy consumption.

With Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) technology, food processors can peel tomatoes in a more nutritious and sustainable way. This improves the efficiency of the overall process and the quality of the product, as well as reducing water and energy requirements.
PEF can be easily integrated into the tomato processing line, before the steam peeling stage. Exposure to the electric field promotes the mass transfer of water inside the fruit, enhancing the amount of water under the tomato skin. As more water is vaporized when heating the PEF-treated tomatoes with the steam, a greater pressure difference across the tomato skin occurs. PEF pre-treatment, performed in very mild conditions, reduces the surface resistance of tomato skin and its adhesiveness to the pulp. This facilitates the formation of even more cracks in the tomato peels, which are then easily removed by the pinch roller system. This results in reduced peeling loss, improved quality and functionality of the end product, and reduced water and energy consumption.

PEF-assisted steam peeling of tomatoes avoids the need to overheat the fruit. Under mild conditions, the shape and texture of the tomatoes are well preserved. The peeling process can also be carried out at relatively lower temperatures and reduced time. This is particularly beneficial for preserving thermo-sensitive compounds such vitamins C and A, and other antioxidant compounds. Interestingly, exposing the tomatoes to PEF increases the bio-availability of lycopene in the canned product, adding value and health benefits.
PEF pre-treatment is a mild process, with an energy expenditure lower than 0.0001 kWh/kg. Compared to conventional steam processing, the steam pressure, energy consumption and peeling time are reduced by about 20-30%. PEF processing is sustainable and has a lower environmental impact, particularly for indicators related to climate change, ozone depletion, and terrestrial acidification.

Some complementary data
FieldFOOD is an EU funded initiative (European Commission (635632-FieldFOOD- H2020)), which lasted from April 2015 to April 2018.
Partners: Research institutions with well-established expertise in PEF technology: University of Zaragoza (Spain), Technical University of Berlin (Germany), ProdAl scarl (Italy), University College of Dublin (Ireland). Manufacturer of PEF generator: Energy Pulse Systems (Portugal).
Coordination: Javier Raso. University of Zaragoza (Spain).

References:
https://www.tasteofscience.com/articles/1309/steam-peeling-of-tomatoes.html
Website: https://www.fieldfood.eu/default.aspx
Website: https://www.effost.org/default.aspx

Source: tasteofscience.com, fieldfood.eu, fstjournal.org, biotech-spain.com
 
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