Effect of pulsed electric field treated on quality of curd

Pulsed electric field (PEF) is a potential pre-treatment technique to improve the quality of milk by reducing its microbial load. The present study aims at addressing this issue with respect to a popular fermented dairy product, that is, curd. Milk was treated with high voltage and frequency (55 kV and 90 Hz) square waves of pulse width 900 µs for 100 s. Curd samples were prepared with conventional heat treatment (CHT), PEF-treated milk subjected to CHT (PT-CHT), and PEF-treated milk (PT). PT samples resulted in curd with higher acidity (0.17 ± 0.005% LA) and microbial load (6.65 ± 0.27 log CFU/g), while the PT-CHT samples resulted in curd with better whey holding capacity. The firmness recorded for CHT, PT-CHT, and PT was 1.15 ± 0.05, 1.32 ± 0.04, and 0.91 ± 0.03 N, respectively. PT-CHT showed a higher viscosity index, that is, 0.207 ± 0.005 g. Sensorial properties showed the acidic nature of PT-curd with greater syneresis and softer texture resulted in its poorer sensory scores for texture. Shelf-life analysis showed no significant difference between curd prepared using the CH and PT-CHT up to 12 days. The study demonstrated the potential of employing PEF with CHT for improving the texture and shelf life of curd without impacting its quality.