Ohmic heating is an efficient way of processing foods containing large solid particulates.
Unlike conventional processes such as canning and conventional aseptic processing which rely heavily on heat penetration, the ohmic heating process heats food material internally by passing an electric current through it. Heating rates of the solid-liquid mixture during ohmic heating are significantly affected by electrical conductivity of the mixture and the amount of voltage applied. In this process, a simultaneous and uniform heating of solid and liquid phases can be achieved, thus reducing the danger of underprocessing as well as nutritional loss. Pioneering experimental studies on ohmic heating of solid-liquid mixtures have been conducted in Professor Sastry's laboratory at The Ohio State University since 1988. The present state of fundamental knowledge on the ohmic heating process is in large part originated from discoveries made in his laboratory.