Food safety is a top three global issue. The United Nations reports that over 600 million people worldwide fall ill each year from consuming contaminated food, resulting in about 420,000 deaths. Beyond health, food safety concerns also impact social stability and hinder economic progress.
With a population of 1.4 billion, China prioritizes food safety and places the nutrition and health of its citizens at the forefront. The food industry is currently shifting towards a focus on "nutrition and health," which necessitates innovations to drive this progress.
To support this transformation, Prof Zeng Xin'an, Director of CSIJRI's Innovative Research Centre, led his team in researching high-voltage pulsed electric field technology and its applications in food processing.
With limitations such as low efficiency, high operating costs, and high energy consumption, traditional thermal processing often leads to adverse changes in nutritional content and sensory food quality. Pulsed electric field processing, an emerging non-thermal technology, helps minimize the impact on colour, aroma, taste, and nutritional content. This technology has been widely adopted in the food processing industries in Europe and the United States.
Due to technological bottlenecks, China lacks companies capable of mass-producing pulsed electric field treatment equipment, and Prof Zeng's team strives to bridge this gap.
The advantage of high-voltage pulsed electric field technology lies in its ability to replicate the outcomes of thermal extraction processing for highly active raw materials. This technology enables rapid processing at the millisecond level, with instantaneous output power exceeding megawatts. Moreover, the adjustable parameters of the pulse power supply ensure the equipment's stability and versatility.
Compared to other processing methods on the market, this technology offers the advantages of low energy consumption, high efficiency, and low operating costs. It can enhance the activity of active substances at lower temperatures while preserving the stability and nutritional flavour of food, meeting consumers' desires to maximize the retention of natural nutrients and promote environmental sustainability. The research findings have been repeatedly acknowledged as scientific and technological achievements by the China Light Industry Federation and recognized as internationally advanced and domestically leading technology.
Paihu Technology and Xin'an Food, two startups established by the team, have launched equipment sales for food extraction, sterilization, and reaction. They cater to various food processing sectors, including food preservation, drying, thawing, and natural extraction. This initiative has bridged the gap in China's high-end food processing equipment market.
"As an innovative food processing technology," Prof Zeng said, "Pulsed electric field processing stands out for its ability to preserve the taste and quality throughout the entire process, thereby ensuring safer food for consumers."
The team currently provides equipment and technical support to twenty renowned companies and more than ten universities, including Haitian Flavors, Infinitus, Kingfa Sci & Tech, and Midea Group. They will continue to develop modern processes and standardized, intelligent, and industrial equipment, leveraging science and technology to enhance food safety in China.
