Analysis of rice cooking characteristics under pulsed electric field treatment

WEI Guifeng; CHEN Boru; ZENG Xinan; WANG Langhong; LI Jian

Abstract：To expand the application of pulsed electric field(PEF)in the cooking field,this study investigated the effects of PEF at different field strengths(0.3 kV/cm and 0.55 kV/cm)and treatment times(0 to 12 minutes)on the textural properties,moisture distribution,and microstructure of rice,aiming to comprehensively evaluate the cooking effects of PEF on rice.The experimental results indicated that PEF treatment significantly altered the water absorption rate,expansion rate,textural properties,and enhanced the cooking of rice.After 2～12 min of treatment with electric field strength of 0.3 kV/cm,the water absorption rate of rice increased from 11.37％to 33.53％.When the field strength was raised to 0.55 kV/cm for the same treatment duration,the absorption rate increased from 26.23％to 58.92％.Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance results showed that untreated rice primarily contained bound water,whereas PEF-treated rice exhibited a shift towards semi-bound water and free water.The surface of PEF-treated rice transformed from a dense and smooth structure to a loose and porous form.This study reveals the rapid cooking effect of PEF treatment on rice,which broadens the technical path and practical space for the application of PEF technology in the field of cooking.