Abstract
The aim of this investigation was to lay the groundwork of the potential application of Pulsed Electric Fields (PEF) technology for accelerating the drying process of meat and meat products, and specifically in this work of Spanish dry-cured sausages "longaniza". PEF treatments were applied to pork loin samples, and the influence of different PEF parameters on the process were evaluated. An optimal PEF treatment of 1 kV/cm, 200 μs of pulse width and 28 kJ/kg was determined as the most suitable to electroporate meat cells and to improve water transfer by achieving a water content reduction of 60.4% in treated-meat samples dried at 4 °C. The influence of PEF on meat drying rate was also studied on minced pork and the results showed that with a particle size of 4.0 mm higher drying rates were achieved. To validate the results, Spanish cured sausages were prepared from treated and untreated minced pork and stuffed into gauzes and natural pork casings at pilot plant scale. After the curing process, the application of PEF to sausages stuffed into gauze reduced the drying time from 17 to 9-10 days, a reduction of 41-47%, confirming the effects described at lab scale and the potential of PEF for accelerating the sausage-drying process.