Emerging trends and future perspectives in pulsed electric technology for dairy processing: a comprehensive review

Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) technology has emerged as a cutting-edge processing and preservation technique for milk and dairy products by utilizing high-voltage pulses to promote electroporation-mediated inactivation of microbes and enzymes without compromising the inherent nutritional and sensory properties. This review underscores the ability of PEF to maintain and improve the quality and safety of milk and dairy products. PEF-treated milk has a significant retention of major nutrients, such as proteins, minerals, and vitamins, with minimal effect on texture, taste, and color, as well as maintaining fat globule structural stability. This technology enhances the technological and functional properties of milk proteins like solubility, gelation, and emulsification without promoting significant conformational alterations. PEF has significant potential in mitigating antibiotic residues including sulfonamides, benzylpenicillin in dairy products. Moreover, this technology exhibits significant potential in dairy processing applications, such as production of yogurt, cheese, ice-cream and other dairy products, with a synergistic effect when combined with mild thermal treatment and other innovative approaches. Further research is necessary to optimize PEF processing parameters to fully understand the significant effects of this approach on the nutritional bioaccessibility, molecular stability, microbial parameters, and shelf-life of PEF treated dairy products. This could facilitate the development of precise and evidence-based PEF processing strategies for dairy technology.