Progetto Fieldfood

Electroporation kills microbes by perforating their cell membranes. Thus food safety can be achieved, while the food quality and nutritional value are retained. The PEF treatment keeps vitamins, antioxidants and pigments intact and increases shelf life. Increased shelf life impacts favourably on supply-chain logistics from factory to retailer. It provides opportunities for export and wastage reduction.

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.

PEF improves food quality and food safety, optimizes process efficiency, reduces energy costs and stimulates the introduction of new products. This makes the technology especially fit for small and medium sized food processing companies in the European Union. It will help the companies to fulfil the demand of consumers for fresh, nutritional quality foods and novel foods which contribute to health and wellbeing.

Pulsed electric field technology will make food processing companies more competitive in the national and international food market and will provide opportunities for growth, diversification and job creation. Furthermore, the European Union is currently the global market leader in wine and olive oil. The introduction of PEF will secure this position and enhance the competitiveness of European wine, juice, fruit product and olive oil producers