Recent developments in ohmic technology for clean label fruit and vegetable processing: An overview

The commercial future of any food and its ingredients is mostly determined by consumer perceptions and preferences following their lifestyle. However, health-conscious and educated consumers are increasingly deliberated on natural, minimally processed foods. Accordingly, academic interest in food processing has expanded to maintain the degree of product freshness. But the scope of these published studies is broad and fragmented while there is limited research that systematically evaluates emerging technologies such as ohmic heating (OH) in clean-label applications in fruit and vegetable sector. OH applies an electric current endorsing uniform and quick heat generation inside the food matrix. Furthermore, OH has shorter processing times, which inhibits overheating and causes less deterioration of heat-labile nutrients. This study presents a comprehensive overview of advanced OH applications for inactivation of degrading enzymes and conserving natural properties of food when compared with conventional heating such as pasteurization or sterilization. Moreover, the OH combinations with nonthermal techniques such as vacuum, dehydration/drying, and evaporation/concentration have been discussed. Practical applications OH technology is considered very useful for producing products as clean labeled. Among the advantages of using OH for food processing and preservation purposes, it is very important to maintain antimicrobial properties, many nutrients and pro-health components in processed fruit and vegetable products. OH has high potential and wide scope in future for various unit operations such as dehydration, evaporation, blanching and extraction for the food and vegetable sector. These are subjected to continuous investigation as per consumer demand without compromising safety. And due to energy savings (short process time), the possibility of using it in sustainable food production techniques.

Automated summary

Consumer perceptions and preferences play a crucial role in determining the commercial future of food and its ingredients. Health-conscious and educated consumers are increasingly interested in natural, minimally processed foods. Ohmic heating (OH) is an emerging technology that allows for uniform and quick heat generation in food, with minimal damage to heat-labile nutrients. This study provides a comprehensive overview of OH applications in inactivating degrading enzymes and preserving the natural properties of food, as well as its combination with nonthermal techniques. OH has high potential and wide scope in the food and vegetable sector, with applications in dehydration, evaporation, blanching, and extraction.