Measurement of the Effect of Pulsed Electric Fields on the Inactivation of Wine Yeasts

Abstract

Traditional sterilization techniques for wine (more in general liquid food) often compromise the organoleptic properties of the food itself. Research is underway to find alternative solutions. The pulsed electric field has proved to be an alternative technique for food sterilization. However, scientific papers on this topic report conflicting results regarding treatment details such as the duration, amplitude, frequency and number of required field pulses. In this article, some preliminary experiments will be presented in the application of pulsed electric fields in winemaking, taking care of the aspects related to the measurement of the electrical quantities involved. The experiment was carried out in the first place to evaluate the selectivity of the treatment with respect to the different yeast species naturally present in grape juice. The measurement of the electrical quantities involved is not trivial, the article represents a first effort to develop a correct measurement setup, aimed at providing the scientific community with the first experimental measurement results during the treatment with the pulsed electric field.