Title
Conductive plastic film electrodes for Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) treatment: A proof of principle
Author
Roodenburg, B.
de Haan, S.W.H.
van Boxtel, L.B.J.
Hatt, V.
Wouters, P.C.
Coronel, P.
Ferreira, J.A.
TNO Kwaliteit van Leven
Publication year
2010
Abstract
Nowadays Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) treatment of food needs to be performed prior to packaging, either hygienic or aseptic packaging is necessary. New techniques for PEF treatment after packaging can be considered when plastic conductive (film) electrodes can be integrated within the package, so that the package and the product can be treated as a whole. This paper describes a newly developed treatment chamber, which can be used to test the ability of any arbitrary plastic packaging film to be used as electrodes for PEF treatment. Tests with a flexible commercially available electrically conductive copolymer film showed that reduction of Lactobacillus plantarum by PEF was possible. This heat sealable film obeys the mechanical properties of a polymer; however it has an electrical conductivity of 0.75 S m- 1 and approximately 2.3% of the surface area is electrically conductive. The maximum obtained inactivation was 2.1 log10 with a specific energy of 17 J ml- 1. The microbial experiments gave a consistent outcome compared with finite element simulations and with models from literature. Further research to reach real pasteurisation levels is needed as well as issues concerning utilisation of these film electrodes. Industrial relevance: Stainless steel electrodes, which are widely used as electrode material for Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) treatment systems, have as main disadvantage that they exhibit certain wear. This article showed that polymer composites can be considered as electrode material for newly to be developed PEF treatment concepts. With extensive research on food grade composite films the integration of cheap disposable plastic electrodes in food packages comes within reach. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Subject
Nutrition
Packaging
PEF-in-pack
Polymer electrodes
Pulsed Electric Field
Aseptic packaging
Electrical conductivity
Electrically conductive
Electrode material
Film electrodes
Finite element simulations
Food grade
Food package
Heat-sealable
Lactobacillus plantarum
Pasteurisation
Plastic electrodes
Plastic packaging
Polymer composite
Polymer electrodes
Proof of principles
Pulsed electric field
Pulsed electric field treatments
Specific energy
Stainless steel electrode
Surface area
Composite films
Electric conductivity
Electric field measurement
Electric fields
Electrochemical electrodes
Mechanical properties
Plastic films
Protective coatings
Stainless steel
Packaging
Lactobacillus plantarum
To reference this document use:
http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:a1771314-3dd1-4e77-af5f-cc7877fba64d
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifset.2010.01.005
TNO identifier
346400
ISSN
1466-8564
Source
Innovative Food Science and Emerging Technologies, 11 (2), 274-282
Document type
article