Consumers are increasingly aware of the health benefits and risks associated with consumption of food. Consumers also perceive fresh food as healthier than the heat-treated; therefore, the industry is now seeking alternative technologies to maintain most of the fresh attributes, safety and storage stability of food. Pulsed electric field (PEF) is one of these promising alternative technologies. Satisfactory evaluation of a new preservation technology, such as PEF, depends on reliable estimation of its efficacy against pathogenic and spoilage food-borne microorganisms. Research on alternative technologies was initially focused on process design, product characteristics and kinetics of microbial inactivation. The success of these new technologies, however, depends on the progress in understanding microbial physiology and behavior of microbial cell during and after the treatment. Consequently, this presentation reviews the PEF technology with emphasis on (i) mechanisms of microbial inactivation, (ii) patterns of inactivation kinetics, and (iii) microbial resistance mechanisms.
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