Supercritical Fluid Pasteurization and Food Safety

Abstract

Supercritical fluid pasteurization has been studied for over 20 years and the state of science and technology is such that it is now a viable and economical alternative to thermal pasteurization for a number of food products. The manufacture and distribution of food faces increasingly strict demands in terms of both safety and quality. Traditional thermal pasteurization is both effective and well-accepted by the public for milk and other products. However, thermal treatment is less effective and sometimes infeasible for certain products, such as fruit juices, seafoods and fresh vegetables. This is particularly true when the food products are packaged and shipped long distances. Supercritical fluid technology, a non-thermal, low temperature process, has been shown to reduce the viability of a number of pathogenic organisms important to the food industry. In addition, supercritical fluids, particularly CO2, have promise in deactivating subcellular pathogens such as prions and viruses. Numerous basic science investigations reveal the mechanism of supercritical fluid pasteurization and how it differs from thermal methods. Several commercial companies have issued patents and built demonstration plants based on the technology. In addition, certain supercritical fluids may provide additional benefits for food processors. This chapter provides a comprehensive review of both science and technology of supercritical fluid technology as applied to foods.

Cyclodextrin-Based Solid–Gas Clathrates

“…N 2 O and N 2 were preferred for our study for technological reasons. Studies report the use of high-pressure N 2 O in food technology in pasteurization over CO 2 , thus avoiding the pH problems resulting from the formation of carbonic acid. , Also, CO 2 has a bitter taste and it is not preferred for sweets. With this in mind we focused our study on the comprehensive investigation of CDs with N 2 and N 2 O clathrates.…”

Modern Supercritical Fluid Technology for Food Applications

“…Both SCF microbial and enzymatic deactivation have been demonstrated on liquid food substrates, such as fruit juices, milk, and alcoholic beverages. Spilimbergo et al (2011) have compiled a list of these food substrates and the microorganisms of concern, primarily for CO 2 -treated substrates. Solid food substrates such as oysters, fish, ginseng, kimchi, and meats have also been CO 2 treated.…”

Effect of High-pressure CO2Processing on Bacterial Spores

“…Second, the CO 2 pressures applied for sterilization are much lower (generally lower than 30 MPa) compared to the high pressures (100-600 MPa) employed in high hydrostatic pressure processing, which makes it easier to control and manage the pressure used in the HPCD technology. Third, the lower temperature used in the HPCD technology compared to thermal processing induces a much lower impact on the nutritional and physicochemical properties of food (Spilimbergo et al, 2010). The bactericidal effects of HPCD have been reviewed by Spilimbergo and Bertucco (2003), Balaban and Damar (2006), Zhang et al (2006c), Garcia-Gonzalez et al (2007), and Perrut (2011).…”