Pulsemaster’s PEF-systems markets are expanding rapidly, one of the reasons behind that being the fact that these systems are widely used in the potato industry to make crisps, French fries, and potato specialties such as hash browns or tater tots, company experts recently mentioned.

“[…] The rise in better-for-you products contributes to increasing sales of our Pulsemaster PEF-systems,” Mark de Boevere, MD of Pulsemaster said.

In a recent press release, the company representative highlighted the potential of vegetable snacks formed by dehydration and drying, rather than frying, as an especially exciting prospect.

“Dehydrated vegetable snacks are still quite niche but growing. A PEF-treatment before drying results in a 20% faster-drying process and improved quality of the dried products that rival fresh. Pulsemaster’s PEF enables high-speed, low-temperature drying above or below freezing point while preserving nutritional value, bioactivity, flavor, color, and a texture better than existing classical methods without PEF pre-treatment,” de Boevere added.

Electroporation uses a pulsed electric field to drill minute pores in the cell membranes of raw vegetables, leading to a diverse range of benefits – both during processing and in end products. For example, the ability of PEF to help minimize acrylamide in potato crisps is one benefit that has been instrumental in driving uptake.

From easier cutting and acrylamide mitigation to lower oil uptake and crunchier crisps, pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment delivers a diverse range of benefits.

Punching holes in the membranes also allows other materials to pass through the cell walls. Water is the most obvious and this provides numerous processing advantages by making the plant material softer. A visible effect after a PEF-treatment of the whole, raw potatoes can be that water leaks out of the cells, consequently reducing the turgor pressure and resulting in an overall softening of the raw material. Therefore it makes cutting easier after PEF-treatment.

“Easier cutting also means there is less wear and tear of cutting blades. While much of the focus for development among snack makers has been on the use of PEF with potatoes destined for crisps, it is also helpful for snacks based on other vegetables. Veggie crisps remain relatively specialized, but they are becoming increasingly popular,” de Boevere concluded.