Acoustic impulse response in apple tissues treated by pulsed electric field

This work discusses application of acoustically-derived index of disintegration for characterization of pulsed electric field (PEF)-treated whole apples in aqueous media. It was demonstrated that PEF efficiency was dependent on the conductivity of the aqueous media and orientation of the apple with respect to the external field. Electrical treatment also stimulated transient changes after PEF application in acoustic disintegration index (Z(a)). Relation between the conductivity disintegration index (Z(c)) and Z(a) was established. A nonlinear relation between Z(c) and Z(a) was observed and it was demonstrated that the Z(a) value seems to be a better measure of the real degree of damage than the widely used value of Z(c). (C) 2009 IAgrE. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.