Nutritional impact of ohmic heating on fruits and vegetables—A review

Abstract

Ohmic heating, also called electrical resistance heating, joule heating, or electro-conductive heating, is an advanced thermal food processing technique where heat is internally generated in a sample due to electrical resistance when electric current is passed through it. It is a novel technique which provides rapid and uniform heating, resulting in less thermal damage to the food product. According to the recent literature, plant products are most suitable and often used for ohmic heat processing. Beyond heating of fruits and vegetables, the applied electric field under ohmic heating causes various changes in quality and nutritional parameters which include inactivation of enzymes and micro-organisms, degradation of heat-sensitive compounds, changes in cell membranes, viscosity, pH, color, and rheology. Ohmic heating rate depends on the electrical field strength and electrical conductivity of product. This review focuses on various factors affecting the electrical conductivity of fruits and vegetables and the effect of ohmic heating on their quality and nutritional properties.