Review of the Research Progress of the Electromagnetic Field Treatment Technology in Fruit and Vegetable Preservation and Processing

Electromagnetic field treatment is a new non-thermal food processing method, which can be used in the preservation and processing of fruits and vegetables to maintain fresh quality. Electromagnetic field treatment can not only delay the ripening of fruits and vegetables, but also have the functions of preservation, sterilization, disinfection and antisepsis, etc. The fruits and vegetables treated by appropriate electromagnetic field can maintain their nutritional and sensory quality well, and prolong their shelf life at room temperature. This paper mainly reviewed the application of static, alternating, and pulsed magnetic field treatment technologies in fruit and vegetable preservation and processing, summarized the influence mechanism of electromagnetic field on postharvest metabolisms, cell membrane integrity, key metabolic enzymes and related transcription processes of fruit and vegetable material, and revealed the internal mechanism of this technology on maintaining fruit and vegetable quality characteristics. Future research on the application of electromagnetic field in the preservation and processing of fruits and vegetables should consider the characteristics of fruits and vegetables to develop the combined treatment technologies of electromagnetic field and other physical fields, so as to achieve precise processing, high efficiency, low energy consumption, and meet consumer demands for high-quality fruits and vegetables products.