Pulsed electric field effects on inactivation of microorganisms in acid whey

Prospects of pulsed electric field technology application on acid whey concentrate pretreatment were analyzed. Stationary and flow pre-treatment systems were combined with different treatment parameters: electric field strength (E = 39 kV/cm, 95 kV/cm, 92 kV/cm), pulse duration (τ = 60 ns, 90 ns, 1000 ns) and pulse number (pn = up to 100 pulses). Isolates of Saccharomyces sp. and Lactobacillus sp. were predominant in concentrate. Significant non-thermal inactivation effect was achieved after PEF treatment. Exposure to short pulses selectively inactivated yeast cells, as a result PEF technology can be applied for low-energy acid whey processing.