The Impact of High-Voltage Electrostatic Field (HVEF) on Pork Texture and Meat Quality

High-voltage electrostatic fields (HVEF) have been demonstrated to effectively maintain the quality and freshness of fruits, vegetables, and aquatic products during storage. To investigate the effects of HVEF on the microbial growth and meat quality characteristics, pork semimembranosus muscles were treated with HVEF under 0, −90, −150, +90, and +150 kV/m for 72 h at 4 °C. The results showed that the total plate counts in pork samples were significantly reduced by HVEF treatments (p < 0.05), with the positive HVEF treatment demonstrating the greatest efficacy in inhibiting bacterial growth. HVEF treatments also significantly improved the water-holding capacity of the samples, while reducing both drip loss and cooking loss. Among the treatment groups, negative HVEF effectively maintained protein integrity, inhibited lipid oxidation, and preserved muscle microstructure during storage. In contrast, positive HVEF led to more pronounced tissue damage, particularly at higher voltage intensities. Finally, this study showed that positive HVEF induced tissue disruption and myofibril fragmentation, thereby promoting tenderization, and exhibits strong potential for application in improving pork processing quality.