ABSTRACT
Several attempts have been made to elucidate whether exposure of living organisms to magnetic fields (MF) is harmful, beneficial, or neutral. This chapter presents an overview of some of the proposed interaction mechanisms as well as some of the results that have been obtained by exposing living systems to different varieties of MF. The primary advantages of MF as a potential tool in the inactivation of microorganisms have been cited as minimal thermal denaturation of nutritional and organoleptic properties, reduced energy requirement for adequate processing, and potential treatment of foods inside a flexible film package. One of the first attempts to explain the effect of Oscillating MF on living systems was presented by A. R. Liboff in 1985. The use of MF as an alternative nonthermal technology for food preservation is far from reach, as discrepancies in results and inability to replicate experiments reflect the complex nature of this technology.
