Electric shocks kill bacteria
Low temperatures and an acidic environment create the ideal conditions for an effective method of inactivating Listeria (and other germs) in the processing of whey protein solutions – without destroying valuable nutrients. A team from the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU) made this discovery in collaboration with an international food company, and they have now published their findings. The harmful bacteria are inactivated by means of electroporation, a process that does not require drastic temperature increases, in contrast to conventional thermal preservation methods, which in turn contributes to more effective conservation of nutrients. The conditions identified by the BOKU researchers will pave the way for the preservation of whey-protein solutions without significant loss of nutrients.