Elimination of Lactobacillus plantarum and achievement of shelf stable model salad dressing by pilot scale pulsed electric fields combined with mild heat

Pulsed electric field processing is on the verge of entering industrial scale processing. Consequently pilot scale data are essential for process scale up purposes. Increasing evidence is currently occumulated that PEF in conjunction with moderate heat treatment is not only an attractive minimal processing alternative but also interesting in terms of energy efficiency and low environmental impacts for pasteurization of foods. This paper is one example for such process development for food materials with low (103 cfu/ml) initial microbial counts.