Ohmic heating

One of the earliest applying electricity to foods is ohmic heating. In this process, a continuous electric current, which generate heat, is passed though the food.

It consist of equipment for passing an alternating current through the liquid between electrodes.

This method of processing is useful for viscous liquids and foods containing particles.

Ohmic heating processing has the promise to provide food processors with the opportunity to produce new, high value added and shelf stable products.

Ohmic heating can also be used for heating high-acid food products such as tomato-based sauces prior to hot filling, with considerable benefits in product quality.

A large number of potential applications exist for ohmic heating including its use in blanching, evaporation, dehydration, fermentation and extraction. Its primary application is as a heat treatment for microbial control.

The principal advantage claimed for ohmic heating is its ability to heat materials rapidly and more uniformly than traditional systems used for heating food, including products containing particulates.

Most of studies have indicated that the ohmic process reduces processing time resulting in superior product quality compared with those processed by conventional means.

Ohmic heating can be considered a High Temperature Short Time (HTST) aseptic process.
Ohmic heating