The influence of Pulsed Electric Fields (PEF) on the peeling ability of different fruits and vegetables

The impact of Pulsed Electric Fields (PEF) on the peeling ability of different fruits and vegetables in particular tomatoes, peaches, peppers, and oranges were investigated. Samples were exposed to a fixed electric field strength of 2.15 kV/cm. The specific energy ranged from 0.6 kJ/kg to 50.3 kJ/kg. The treated raw materials were analysed regarding to the peeling ability, skin size and weight and firmness. The best result for tomatoes at a specific energy of 1.2 kJ/kg induced a high score of peeling ability that led to less product loss and could therefore increase the yield by 33.84%–41.53% compared to untreated samples. Moreover, an increased skin size by a factor of 3.7 was observed. However, PEF had no significant impact on peeling ability of oranges, peppers, and peaches. Although oranges showed an improvement in peeling ability by up to 32%, this cannot be traced back to the PEF treatment. The different properties and structures of the raw materials were discussed and provided indications about the limitation of PEF. • Pulsed Electric Fields (PEF) improves peeling results of tomatoes significantly. • PEF induces a water accumulation under the skin of tomatoes. • Low intensity of 1.2 kJ/kg is sufficient to gain optimal results for tomato peeling. • PEF does not affect the hemicellulose and pectic network of fruits and vegetables. • Albedo content significantly influences the peeling results of oranges, not PEF.