An Update on High Hydrostatic Pressure, from the Laboratory to Industrial Applications

Abstract

High hydrostatic pressure has become an industrial reality, and although there are still many aspects under research, today it is possible to buy high-pressurized products in many countries. Indeed, pasteurization of food products using elevated pressure at room temperature has been accepted by regulatory agencies for commercial use. The quality displayed in such products includes better nutritional retention, fresh-like flavor, improved color, texture, and taste, and extended shelf life compared to thermally pasteurized products. There are several applications of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) use today in processing fruits, vegetables, meats, seafood, dairy and egg products, including the intelligent combination of pressure, temperature, and time to generate specific characteristics in certain products. One of the biggest challenges in highpressure application is in the sterilization of low-acid foods with combined elevated pressure (600-800 MPa), moderate temperatures (30-90°C), and short processing times (less than 5 min). Combined pressure and temperature, also known as pressure-assisted thermal sterilization (PATS), was recently approved by the FDA in 2009 for commercial sterilization. This manuscript is an update of the stateof-the-art in high-pressure technology, showing the advances achieved in past years and its most recent applications today in food processing. Inactivation of different microorganisms and the potential use of mathematical models to describe and validate the process are also mentioned, including using PATP to achieve sterilization parameters. Facts pertaining to equipment and operation costs are included as well to show that as a new technology, high-pressure use would likely require high initial investment. However, given the productivity and capability of this technology to enhance food quality, it may well deserve this initial investment, as many food companies have indicated in their annual cost reports.

Multi-pulsed high hydrostatic pressure inactivation of microorganisms: A review

“…High hydrostatic pressure (HHP), which is considered as one of the most important innovations in food processing in 50 years (Balasubramaniam, Farkas, & Turek, 2008), has become a reality in the food industry and has spread worldwide due to its advantages of Innovative Food Science and Emerging Technologies xxx (2014) preserving the quality and organoleptic properties of foods (Bermúdez-Aguirre & Barbosa-Cánovas, 2011;Donsì, Ferrari, & Maresca, 2010). By mid-2008, about 125 pieces of industrial HHP equipment were in production for food processing worldwide and almost 85% of these pieces equipment were installed after 2000 (Tonello, 2011).…”

“…A number of reviews have been written concerning effects of HHP on microorganisms (Bermúdez-Aguirre & Barbosa-Cánovas, 2011;Considine, Kelly, Fitzgerald, Hill, & Sleator, 2008;Farkas & Hoover, 2000;Matser, Krebbers, van den Berg, & Bartels, 2004;Patterson, 2005;Zhang & Mittal, 2008). However, to the best of the author's knowledge there is no review on multi-pulsed HHP inactivation of microorganisms.…”

Evaluation of high hydrostatic pressure effect on human adenovirus using molecular methods and cell culture

“…High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) processing is a non-thermal, energy-efficient and emergent inactivation technology, which has been widely studied to eliminate pathogenic microorganisms in foods (Bermúdez-Aguirre and Barbosa-Cánovas, 2011). HHP-treated foods maintain most of their natural characteristics like colour, flavour and health promoting substances (Kingsley et al, 2005).…”

Benefits and limitations of food processing by high-pressure technologies: effects on functional compounds and abiotic contaminants Beneficios y limitaciones del procesamiento de alimentos por tecnologías de alta presión: efectos en componentes funcionales y contaminantes abióticos

“…High-pressure processing (HPP) technology has been developed as an alternative to thermal processes with the aim of obtaining microbiologically safe food products while avoiding undesirable changes in the sensory, physicochemical, and nutritional properties of foods (Bermu´dez-Aguirre & Barbosa-Ca´novas, 2011;Campus, 2010;Mu´jica-Paz, Valdez-Fragoso, Tonello Samson, Welti-Chanes, & Torres, 2011;Palou, Lo´pez-one of the innovative food processing technologies most accepted by consumers (Cardello, 2003;Cardello, Schutz, & Lesher, 2007;Evans & Cox, 2006). A recent development, not yet commercialized but with an application already approved by the US Food & Drug Administration (www.nafwa.org/blog/, accessed 5 March 2009), is the use of pressure treatments at higher temperatures, a method known as pressure assisted thermal processing (PATP) (Bermu´dez-Aguirre & Barbosa-Ca´novas, 2011;Mu´jica-Paz et al, 2011;Torres, Sanz, Otero, Pe´rez Lamela, & Saldan˜a, 2009b;.…”

“…A recent development, not yet commercialized but with an application already approved by the US Food & Drug Administration (www.nafwa.org/blog/, accessed 5 March 2009), is the use of pressure treatments at higher temperatures, a method known as pressure assisted thermal processing (PATP) (Bermu´dez-Aguirre & Barbosa-Ca´novas, 2011;Mu´jica-Paz et al, 2011;Torres, Sanz, Otero, Pe´rez Lamela, & Saldan˜a, 2009b;. Regarding HPP effects on food composition, research has shown a higher retention of nutrients and functional compounds including no changes in antioxidant capacity when compared with other preservation processes such as thermal treatments (Oey, Lille, van Loey, & Hendrickx, 2008;Oey, van der Plancken, van Loey, & Hendrickx, 2008); however, there are still very few studies reporting PATP effects on foods (Ramirez, Saraiva, Pe´rez Lamela, & Torres, 2009).…”