Electrostatic fields slow pork glycolysis in near-freezing storage

Researchers in China found that adding a continuous electrostatic field to near-freezing pork storage slowed postmortem glycolysis and preserved more energy reserves than refrigeration alone. The approach may help protect fresh pork quality during transport and storage without freezing the meat.

Why it matters: - Fresh pork loses color, moisture, tenderness and value as postmortem glycolysis drives pH down. - Slowing that metabolic cascade can help preserve water-holding capacity, texture and appearance during transport, retail and processing. - The study suggests electrostatic-field-assisted cold storage could improve near-freezing preservation without freezing the meat under the tested conditions.

What happened: - Researchers from the Institute of Food Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and the College of Food Science and Engineering at Ocean University of China reported the study in Food Quality and Safety on June 2, 2026. - The team compared pork stored at 4 ± 0.5 °C, at −1 ± 0.5 °C, or at −1 ± 0.5 °C with a continuous 12-kilovolt electrostatic field. - The study tracked longissimus thoracis et lumborum muscle from eight pig carcasses for 1.5 to 120 hours after slaughter. - The paper is identified by DOI 10.1093/fqsafe/fyag047, with the original source.

The details: - Electrostatic-field-treated pork had 17.5% less lactate than conventionally refrigerated samples at 120 hours. - Glycogen use was about 14.9% lower in the treated samples. - ATP consumption was about 37.3% lower in the treated samples. - The treated pork retained more pyruvate and showed lower Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase activity. - The researchers measured glycogen, glucose, pyruvate, lactate, ATP and Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase activity over time. - The team also examined phosphorylation and acetylation of lactate dehydrogenase, triosephosphate isomerase and pyruvate kinase after proteomic screening. - Protein particle size, zeta potential, surface hydrophobicity, fluorescence and secondary structure were also assessed. - Two-way analysis of variance separated treatment, storage-time and interaction effects, with carcass treated as a random factor. - Early exposure to the electrostatic field promoted larger protein aggregates. - From 36 to 120 hours, the proteins became smaller, more dispersed and more ordered. - Across the overall pattern, the treatment tended to reduce phosphorylation and increase acetylation.

Between the lines: - The results point to a mechanism beyond simple temperature control. - The electrostatic field appears to affect the environment where glycolytic enzymes operate, while also changing the chemical modifications that regulate those enzymes. - That combination may explain the slower conversion of pyruvate into lactate and the better retention of cellular energy during storage. - The study also suggests a 30-watt system could fit energy-conscious preservation, but the commercial value was not tested.

What's next: - The authors call for molecular dynamics simulations to test the proposed link between protein structure changes and enzyme PTMs. - Larger studies should examine microbial safety, sensory quality, shelf life, scale-up, temperature swings, operating costs and performance across different muscles and meat products. - Industrial adoption will depend on whether the lab results hold up in real supply-chain conditions.