Detailed comparison of various properties (concentration of soluble solids, purity, nature of impurities, coloration and filterability) of sugar beet juices obtained by pulsed electric field (PEF) assisted "cold" extraction (T = 30 and 50 degrees C) and classical "hot" extraction (T = 70 degrees C) was done. It was shown that application of PEF-assisted "cold" extraction results in lower concentration of colloidal impurities (especially, pectins), lower coloration and better filterability of juice. Concentration of various colorants and their intermediates decreased significantly with decreasing of the extraction temperature from 70 degrees C to 30 degrees C. Filtrate obtained by dynamic filtration of juice extracted with PEF treatment had a high purity (95.3 +/- 0.4%) and low coloration (1.2 x 10(3) IU). Obtained data suggest that PEF-assisted "cold" extraction is a promising method for preparation of sugar beet juices with high purity. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.