Pulsed power treatment demonstrates complete inactivation of anisakid larvae in agar penetration and rabbit infection tests.

Abstract

Anisakiasis is a foodborne zoonosis caused by ingesting raw seafood containing anisakid larvae. Its global incidence has increased with rising seafood consumption, highlighting the need for effective prevention methods. While freezing at -20 °C for 24 h is a standard preventive measure, it compromises seafood quality. Pulsed power (PP) technology, delivering high-voltage microsecond pulses, has emerged as a promising non-thermal alternative. Here, we evaluated PP inactivation efficacy using agar penetration and rabbit infection tests. Larvae treated with 10 pulses of 13 kV for 10 µs failed to penetrate agar (0/40), whereas 35/40 untreated larvae penetrated agar (p = 0.0202). In the rabbit model (four animals/group), PP-treated larvae caused no gastric wall penetration, and only three nonviable larvae were observed in the gastric lumen. Conversely, untreated larvae invaded the gastric mucosa (mean: ~ 21/50), lumen (~ 7.8/50), and peritoneal cavity (~ 2.3/50). Gastric wall penetration was significantly lower in the PP group than in the untreated group (p = 0.0211), with a relative risk of 0.006. These results objectively demonstrate complete inactivation of anisakid larvae after PP treatment. PP represents a promising alternative to freezing and holds potential for broader application, provided that compact devices are developed for practical use in seafood processing.