Effect of Static High Electric Field Pre-Treatment on Microwave-Assisted Drying of Potato Slices

Abstract

Dehydration of fruits and vegetables affects their physical, biochemical, and organoleptic properties. In the present study, the effect of static high electric field intensity of 4 kV/cm on drying kinetics of microwave-convective and hot air drying systems was evaluated. The studied electric field intensity had minimal to no effect on the drying kinetics of the potato slices. Less to no curling was observed for high electric field pre-treated samples compared to microwave-convective and hot-air-dried samples. This characteristic was attributed to membrane permeabilization induced by application of a high electric field.