Ohmic heating has been shown to alter mass transfer properties of fruit and vegetable tissue. Diffusion of beet dye from beetroot tissue into a fluid was studied during conventional and ohmic heating as a function of steady-state temperature. The volume of beet dye diffusing into solution during ohmic heating was enhanced with respect to conventional heating at 42C and 58C, but not at 72C. This can be explained by examining the differences in electrical conductivity of beet tissue at these temperatures during conventional and ohmic heating. At 42 and 58C, the electrical conductivity of beet tissue heated ohmically is higher than the electrical conductivity of beet tissue heated conventionally. At 72C, the electrical conductivities of beet tissue during conventional and ohmic heating are equal. The extent of diffusion in the ohmic case is also positively correlated with applied voltage. These results suggest that food processes involving mass transfer can be enhanced by choosing conditions in which the electrical conductivity of a sample under ohmic conditions is maximized.