Enhancing Product Value and Energy Efficiency in Seafood By-Product Processing Using Pulsed Electric Fields: A Critical Review

The global seafood industry generates millions of tons of by-products each year, creating environmental and economic challenges but also presenting a valuable opportunity for resource recovery. These by-products, rich in bioactive compounds such as proteins, omega-3 fatty acids, collagen, chitin, and antioxidants, have traditionally been underutilized due to inefficient and energy-intensive conventional extraction processes. Pulsed electric field (PEF) technology has emerged as a promising, non-thermal, and environmentally friendly method for valorizing seafood by-products by enhancing the permeability of biological membranes through electroporation, thereby facilitating the efficient extraction of high-value compounds. This manuscript critically reviews the scientific principles underpinning PEF, including dielectric breakdown and transmembrane potential generation, and explores its mechanisms for improving mass transfer during extraction and dehydration. Applications of PEF for recovering proteins, lipids, and antioxidants from diverse seafood side streams are comprehensively discussed, with emphasis on its advantages such as reduced energy consumption, preservation of thermolabile compounds, and improved product quality compared to conventional methods. Despite demonstrated laboratory-scale successes, industrial adoption of PEF remains limited due to challenges in process optimization, economic feasibility, and regulatory frameworks. This review synthesizes current knowledge and provides guidance for future research to advance the industrial implementation of PEF as a sustainable and efficient tool for seafood by-product valorization.