Electrical properties

The set of characteristics that describe how a food responds to an electric current or field, including conductivity, resistance, capacitance and dielectric behaviour. They matter in food science because they drive technologies such as ohmic and dielectric heating, underpin sensor-based quality checks, and help measure moisture, composition and temperature in process control. Dielectric properties — permittivity and loss factor — vary with moisture content, temperature and frequency, which is why dielectric heating is so sensitive to formulation. Electrical conductivity likewise rises with dissolved salts, allowing conductivity measurements to track brining, cheese salting and cleaning-in-place performance.