Abstract

Vacuum freeze-drying can be utilized to obtain high-quality dried products, but its application in the food processing industry is restricted by its relatively high energy consumption. However, this problem can be solved with Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) pre-processing. Using a three-factor quadratic orthogonal regression design, this study assessed the effects of changes in various parameters ofPEF pretreatment (pulse intensity, pulse duration and pulse number) on the properties of freeze-dried apple slices (productivity per unit area, flavonoid content and chromatic aberration). In comparison with freeze-dried apple slices that were not exposed to PEF pretreatment, those exposed to PEF showed a 30% increase in productivity per unit area, a decrease of nearly 50% in chromatic aberration and unchanged flavonoid content. Our research provides a theoretical basis for the application of PEF as a pretreatment for freeze-dried foods that can be used to overcome the high energy consumption of the freeze-drying process and improve product quality.

Keywords:

Apple slices, PEF, process parameters, pulsed electric field, quality, vacuumfreeze-drying,

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