High pressure processing technology of aquatic products

Abstract

High-pressure processing is an emerging technology in the food industry. The application of high-pressure processing has shown a huge potential for improving the physicochemical, microbial, and sensory quality of aquatic products. The inactivation of microorganisms and autolytic enzymes by high-pressure processing results in an extension of fish muscles’ shelf life. High pressure inhibits the formation of putrefactive compounds and maintains the hardness of fish muscles, resulting in higher sensory quality compared to untreated muscle over storage time. However, the drawbacks such as discoloration, protein denaturation, and lipid oxidation could limit the application of high pressure on fish muscles. Besides, the gel formed by pressure-induction or high-pressure freezing/thawing of aquatic is being investigated intensively to obtain the benefits of high-pressure processing on aquatic products.