Effects of Pulsed Electric Field on Meat Tenderization and Microbial Decontamination: A Review

Abstract This review sought to categorize studies on meat tenderization and safety through pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment, with a particular focus on reconciling conflicting findings regarding the tenderization effect (i.e., the primary outcome of PEF treatment) and to discuss the underlying mechanisms of these effects. While the tenderization effect may vary depending on the homogeneity of PEF treatment and variations in the conditions of texture measurements, the protein associated with tenderization was degraded by PEF treatment in most studies. PEF technology enables the delivery of a high voltage for a brief duration, typically in the microsecond range, making it a non-thermal technology. One of the distinct advantages of PEF is its ability to preserve the freshness of meat due to its exceptionally short treatment time. While PEF studies have traditionally centered on pasteurizing liquid foods, research on its application to meat is steadily expanding. Therefore, this review aims to elucidate the mechanisms of PEF and provide current insights into the applications of this technology for meat tenderization and microbial inactivation.