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. 2025 May 26;14(11):1891.
doi: 10.3390/foods14111891.

Effect of Pulsed Electric Field Pretreatment on the Texture and Flavor of Air-Dried Duck Meat

Ning Zhang  1 , Zihang Shi  1 , Yangyang Hu  1 , Yangying Sun  1 , Changyu Zhou  1 , Qiang Xia  1 , Jun He  1 , Hongbing Yan  2 , Hui Yu  3 , Daodong Pan  1
Affiliations

Effect of Pulsed Electric Field Pretreatment on the Texture and Flavor of Air-Dried Duck Meat

Ning Zhang et al. Foods. .

Abstract

Pulsed electric field (PEF), a novel non-thermal processing technology, shows great potential in meat processing by regulating macromolecule metabolism and food quality. This study examined the effects of PEF pretreatment at varying electric field strengths (1, 2, and 3 kV/cm) and durations (30, 60, and 90 s) on the color, texture, moisture distribution, free amino acids, and flavor compounds in air-dried duck meat. PEF pretreatment significantly increased brightness (p < 0.05), while PEF treatment (3 kV/cm, 30 s) improved the textural properties of air-dried duck meat, reducing chewiness and hardness by 65.44% and 59.97%, respectively. It promoted myofibril disruption and vacuolization, reducing water mobility and improving moisture retention. Enhanced endogenous enzyme activity under PEF facilitated protein degradation, boosting total free amino acid content, particularly umami and sweet amino acids (glutamic acid, alanine). PEF pretreatment also elevated key aroma compounds, such as hexanal, methyl caprate, and 4-methyl valerate, improving the flavor profile of air-dried duck meat. This study provides technical support for integrating PEF technology into traditional poultry processing.

Keywords: air-dried duck; flavor profile; protein hydrolysis; pulsed electric field; texture profile.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The effect of PEF treatment on the moisture distribution in air-dried duck meat. T2 relaxation spectra (A); relative peak area percentages (B); and magnetic resonance images (C). Data are expressed as mean ± standard deviation. Different letters (a–c) indicate significant differences in one-way ANOVA and Duncan’s multiple comparisons (p < 0.05). CK: untreated; LPEF-30: PEF treatment (1 kV/cm, 30 s); LPEF-60: PEF treatment (1 kV/cm, 60 s); LPEF-90: PEF treatment (1 kV/cm, 90 s); MPEF-30: PEF treatment (2 kV/cm, 30 s); MPEF-60: PEF treatment (2 kV/cm, 60 s); MPEF-90: PEF treatment (2 kV/cm, 90 s); HPEF-30: PEF treatment (3 kV/cm, 30 s); HPEF-60: PEF treatment (3 kV/cm, 60 s); and HPEF-90: PEF treatment (3 kV/cm, 90 s).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Scanning electron microscope images (magnification 1000×).
Figure 3
Figure 3
The effect of PEF treatment on the endogenous protease activity of air-dried duck meat. Cathepsin-B (A); cathepsin-L (B); and calpain (C). Data are expressed as mean ± standard deviation. Different letters (a–e) indicate significant differences in one-way ANOVA and Duncan’s multiple comparisons (p < 0.05).
Figure 4
Figure 4
The effect of PEF treatment on volatile flavor substances in air-dried duck meat. GC–MS partial least squares discriminant analysis plot (PLS–DA) (A); volatile flavor substances heat map (B); and Variable Importance for Projection (VIP) score plot (C).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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