Dried Foods
How to reduce drying time in potato dehydration
How the OPTICEPT SD7 PEF system streamline potato dehydration – Reduce drying time and Cut energy costs.
2025-12-01
PEF treatment involves applying short bursts of high-voltage electric fields to plant tissues. This process temporarily or permanently permeabilizes cell membranes, a phenomenon known as electroporation. While it might sound complex, the outcome is simple: the structure of the food changes in a way that can significantly benefit downstream processing.
At OptiCept, we’ve achieved significant improvements. For example, one customer was able to completely remove the blanching step from their process, all while reducing dehydration time.
By disrupting the cell membranes, PEF allows moisture inside the fruit or vegetable to escape more easily. This leads to reduced drying time—which means lower energy costs and increased throughput in your processing line.
PEF enables an increased operational efficiency, increasing processing capacity and producing more in less time. A great example is removing the energy-consuming blanching step, as mentioned above.
Traditional drying methods often require high temperatures or long durations, both of which can degrade the color, flavor, and nutrients of the final product. With PEF, because drying can be done more efficiently and at lower temperatures, the end result is often visually and nutritionally superior.
PEF can reduce structural collapse and shrinkage during drying, resulting in dried products with better shape retention and texture. This is especially useful for premium fruit snacks, dried veggie chips, or rehydratable ingredients.
As a physical, non-thermal process, PEF doesn’t require chemicals or additives—making it easier to meet clean-label demands from both regulators and consumers.
PEF systems can be easily integrated into existing production lines, especially upstream of drying tunnels or freeze dryers. The return on energy savings, yield improvements, and product quality often make it well worth the cost—especially in high-volume operations.
The OPTICEPT® SD7 PEF system leverages advanced PEF technology to enhance the dehydration of vegetables and fruits, delivering considerable improvements in energy efficiency, processing throughput, and product quality.
This cutting-edge system is designed to meet the high demands of large-scale food production, enabling significant operational improvements while aligning with sustainability targets.
Developed in collaboration between OptiCept Technologies and FPS Food Process Solutions, the SD7 system reflects the synergies of expert knowledge in PEF technology and decades of engineering experience in hygienic food processing equipment.
Adding Pulsed Electric Field treatment before drying fruits and vegetables isn’t just a technological upgrade—it’s a strategic move. With gains in efficiency, product quality, and sustainability, PEF is helping processors meet the growing demand for high-quality dried foods while keeping operations lean and cost-effective.
If your facility is looking to modernize its drying process, it might be time to give PEF a serious look.
Contact OptiCept today, and let’s discuss how we could help you in your dehydration process.
How the OPTICEPT SD7 PEF system streamline potato dehydration – Reduce drying time and Cut energy costs.
With Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) technology, producers can achieve faster drying, lower costs, and superior product quality of white asparagus.
Applying OptiCept’s unique PEF (Pulsed Electric Field) treatment when drying onions leads to faster dehydration, higher throughput, and lower energy costs.
