Pulsed electric field: design of non-thermal processes, functional foods and biomaterials

Abstract

The current global challenge for the industrial sector in the most diverse areas is to innovate in the manufacturing process and formulation of its products to meet the new demands of the modern consumer market. Pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, materials, and food have been questioned due to social and environmental awareness combined with the search for new products that promote the health and well-being of people and animals. The cultural demand for regional products prevails, but the modern consumer seeks differentiated products in the market. In this context, the natural resources and biodiversity put Brazil in the spotlight compared to other countries as a holder of potential for innovation in products that meet new demands. However, Brazilian industry lacks new technologies that favor and enable the implementation of innovations in its production system allowing the full, responsible and conscious use of all the natural wealth of our country, as well as the survival and competitiveness of Brazilian products in the world market. Strategies for the development of processes and products based on non-thermal technologies, such as Pulsed Electric Field (PEF), have gained great prominence in the global scenario. This innovative technology presents a wide versatility of applications in several areas of industrial interest. Therefore, it has been applied at different stages of the manufacturing process to modulate cell permeability, modify the structure of biopolymers, assist chemical reactions, accelerate fermentation processes, eliminate the use of toxic compounds, and reduce processing time and energy expenditure, and other applications. In this context, the proposal of this project is the implementation of the first research group in the state of São Paulo dedicated to developing innovations in non-thermal processes based on PEF technology. New processes will be designed for the production of functional foods rich in phenolic compounds, phytomedicines for the treatment and prevention of chronic diseases, health-promoting natural colorings, and macromolecule modification for the synthesis of innovative biomaterials obtained from native plant matrices. (AU)