Fresh pork begins to lose quality almost immediately after slaughter, as muscle tissue burns through its remaining energy reserves. A new study published in Food Quality and Safety (DOI: 10.1093/fqsafe/fyag047) demonstrates that applying an electrostatic field (EF) during controlled freezing-point storage can significantly slow this metabolic process at the biochemical level, offering a potential new method for maintaining meat quality during refrigerated transport and storage.
The research, conducted by scientists from the Institute of Food Science and Technology at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the College of Food Science and Engineering at Ocean University of China, examined pork muscle stored under three conditions: conventional refrigeration at 4°C, near-freezing storage at -1°C, and near-freezing storage combined with a continuous 12-kilovolt electrostatic field. The team tracked samples from 1.5 to 120 hours postmortem, measuring key energy metabolites and enzyme activities.
Results showed that pork treated with the electrostatic field contained 17.5% less lactate than conventionally refrigerated samples after 120 hours. Glycogen and ATP consumption were reduced by 14.9% and 37.3%, respectively, compared to controls. The treated samples also retained more pyruvate and exhibited lower Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase activity, indicating slower glycolytic flux.
The study also examined post-translational modifications (PTMs) on three key glycolytic enzymes: lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), triosephosphate isomerase (TPI), and pyruvate kinase (PK). The electrostatic field tended to reduce phosphorylation and increase acetylation of these enzymes, consistent with slower glycolytic activity. Additionally, protein structure analysis revealed that early exposure promoted larger protein aggregates, but from 36 to 120 hours, proteins became smaller, more dispersed, and more ordered.
These findings suggest that the preservation effect is not solely due to lower temperature. The electrostatic field appears to influence the molecular environment in which glycolytic enzymes operate, altering both protein conformation and the chemical switches that regulate enzyme activity. This time-dependent response offers a possible explanation for the slower conversion of pyruvate into lactate and better retention of cellular energy during storage.
The implications for the meat industry are significant. By slowing pH decline and conserving ATP, this technology could help protect water-holding capacity, texture, appearance, and overall saleable quality during processing, transport, and retail display. The system operates at just 30 watts, suggesting potential for energy-conscious preservation, although commercial benefits were not directly tested in this experiment.
Future research should validate the proposed causal link between protein structural changes and enzyme PTMs, including through molecular dynamics simulations. Larger studies are also needed to assess microbial safety, sensory quality, shelf life, equipment scale-up, temperature fluctuations, operating costs, and performance across different muscles and meat products before industrial adoption.
This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2022YFD2100500). The study is published in Food Quality and Safety, an open access, international, peer-reviewed journal covering food quality, safety, nutrition, and human health. The journal is covered by SCI-E and has a 2025 Impact Factor of 4.9.
