Impact of Pulsed Electric Field Pretreatment on the Drying Kinetics and Quality Indices of Freeze-Dried Strawberries

Advances in Food Science and Technology | Vol. 14, No. 8, August 2026 | pp. 013–018

DOI: 10.46882/2026/AFST/000242

Article Type: Original Research Paper

Title: Impact of Pulsed Electric Field Pretreatment on the Drying Kinetics and Quality Indices of Freeze-Dried Strawberries

Names of Authors: Klaus Meyer¹, Dieter Schmidt²

Authors’ Affiliations: ¹Institute of Food Process Engineering, Technical University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany; ²Institute of Food Technology, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany

Abstract: Abstract: Conventional freeze-drying produces high-quality dehydrated fruits but requires long processing times and substantial energy consumption due to slow internal mass transfer. This research evaluated the impact of non-thermal Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) pretreatments on the sublimation behavior, drying kinetics, and structural quality criteria of whole freeze-dried strawberries. Fruit samples were exposed to PEF intensities varying from 1.0 to 3.5 kV/cm, with specific energy inputs up to 10 kJ/kg, prior to the freezing phase. The drying records show that a PEF application of 2.5 kV/cm induced electroporation in the cellular membranes, reducing total freeze-drying duration by 26.5% compared to untreated control samples. Spectrophotometric measurements confirmed that PEF-treated strawberries retained 91.4% of native ascorbic acid and 88.3% of total monomeric anthocyanin pigments. Texture profile analysis verified that the optimized samples maintained an acceptable crispness score, avoiding structural collapse. This hybrid processing model provides an effective engineering solution to optimize industrial lyophilization operations while minimizing overall energy inputs.

Keywords: Pulsed Electric Fields, Freeze-Drying, Electroporation, Drying Kinetics, Ascorbic Acid Retention, Texture Optimization

Manuscript Timeline: Received: February 18, 2026; Revised: April 20, 2026; Accepted: May 28, 2026; Published: August 21, 2026

Citation: Meyer, K., & Schmidt, D. (2026). Impact of Pulsed Electric Field Pretreatment on the Drying Kinetics and Quality Indices of Freeze-Dried Strawberries. Advances in Food Science and Technology, 14(8), 013–018. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AFST/000242

Subscribe to read the full article: https://www.internationalscholarsjournals.org/subscribe-to-read