High Voltage Electrical Treatments as a tool allowing improvement of the enzymatic hydrolysis of milk proteins

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High Voltage Electrical Treatments (HVET) comprise the application of high intensity electric field pulsations (from several nanoseconds to several milliseconds) to the treated food product. HVET use electricity as a source of energy, which could be derived from renewable sources. It is known that 57.6 % of Canadian electricity is derived from the energy created by running and falling water (hydroelectricity). In Québec, the hydroelectricity accounts 95.3 %, which makes this province a leader in terms of sustainability of electricity production in comparison to other provinces and countries. Hence, HVET could be a sustainable alternative to the traditional thermal processing negatively affecting food quality and environment. The proposed research program aims to study the impact of different HVET (Pulsed Electric Field, Electrical Streamer and Electrical Arc) on the properties of food molecules. Particularly, for the coming years, my research program will be focused on the pioneer studies aiming the improvement of enzymatic hydrolysis of individual whey proteins by application of HVET. The first step will be studying the impact of HVET on the structure and properties of the major whey proteins such as β-lactoglobulin and α-lactalbumin. Secondly, the electrically pretreated proteins will be hydrolyzed and obtained peptide fractions will be characterized. Eventually, studies of biological and functional activities of obtained protein hydrolyzates will be carried out. The proposed research activities will allow exploring the fundamental aspects of the action of HVET on the structure and properties of complex molecules such as proteins and creating a new bridge between food chemistry and electrochemistry. The modification of protein structure by HVET could lead to the generation of new biologically and functionally active peptides during the enzymatic hydrolysis. In a long-term perspective, the modifications of different food molecules by HVET will allow to control their physico-chemical and biological properties and will provide opportunities to increase their value. Creation of high-added value products without significant environmental impacts will increase the eco-efficiency of food production lines. **