Pulsed electric field technology in the manufacturing processes of wine, beer, and rice wine: A review

• PEF used as pretreatment and sterilization treatments in wines were introduced.
• Common effects of PEF on the quality of alcoholic beverages were summarized.
• Effects of PEF on inactivation of microorganism suspended in wines were introduced.
• Negative effects of PEF were included, namely metal release of electrode corrosion.

Pulsed electric field (PEF) technology is an alternative to traditional food processing because this application can ensure good product quality and energy use efficiency. In PEF applications, the functional compounds extracted from food products can be enhanced, and the microorganisms contaminating the food products during processing can be inactivated. These properties are considered advantageous by alcoholic beverage producers. In this review, studies on the PEF treatment of wine, beer, and rice wine are summarized. The PEF technology is used in the pretreatment in grape wine and control of microbial growth in grape wine, beer, and rice wine. In grape wines, the PEF pretreatment can increase phenolic compound and anthocyanin contents and can enhance color intensity; this pretreatment slightly influences the organoleptic characteristics of samples. The PEF technology is also an effective tool to sterilize grape wine, beer, and rice wine. With this application, the quality of these three alcoholic beverages can be ensured because the PEF technology can be applied in the absence of heat. In addition, the main negative effect of PEF technology is discussed as well.