Static (SMF) and oscillating (OMF) magnetic fields have been explored for their potential as microbial inactivation methods. For SMF, the magnetic field intensity is constant with time, while an OMF is applied in the form of constant amplitude or decaying amplitude sinusoidal waves. The magnetic field may be homogeneous or heterogeneous. In a homogeneous magnetic field, the field intensity B is uniform in the area enclosed by the magnetic field coil, while in a heterogeneous field, B is nonuniform, with the intensities decreasing as distances from the center of the coil increases. OMF applied in the form of pulses reverses the charge for each pulse, and the intensity of each pulse decreases with time to about 10% of the initial intensity (Pothakamury and others 1993).
Preservation of foods with OMF involves sealing food in a plastic bag and subjecting it to 1 to 100 pulses in an OMF with a frequency between 5 to 500 kHz at temperatures in the range of 0 to 50 oC for a total exposure time ranging from 25 to 100 ms. Frequencies higher than 500 kHz are less effective for microbial inactivation and tend to heat the food material (Barbosa-Cánovas and others1998). Magnetic field treatments are carried out at atmospheric pressure and at moderate temperatures. The temperature of the food increases 2-5 oC. According to Hoffman (1985) exposure to magnetic fields causes inhibition in the growth and reproduction of microorganisms. OMF of intensity of 5 to 50 telsa (T) and frequency of 5 to 500 kHz was applied and reduced the number of microorganisms by at least 2-log cycles. Within the magnetic field of 5-50 T, the amount of energy per oscillation coupled to 1 dipole in the DNA is 10-2 to 10-3 eV (Hoffman 1985). OMF of this intensity can be generated using: (1) superconducting coils; (2) coils which produce DC fields; or (3) coils energized by the discharge of energy stored in a capacitor (Gersdof and others 1983). Inhibition or stimulation of the growth of microorganisms exposed to magnetic fields may be a result of the magnetic fields themselves or the induced electric fields. The latter is measured in terms of induced electric field strength and induced current density. To differentiate between electric field and magnetic field effects, a cylindrical enclosure containing cells and a medium that can be adapted to in vitro studies employing uniform, single-phase, extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields is recommended.