Fundamentals and Applications of High Pressure Food Processing

Abstract

Food can be processed by high hydrostatic pressure (HHP). HHP can inactivate microbes, while minimizing loss in food quality such as flavor, color, and nutrition. HHP food processing was first commercialized for producing fruit jams by a Japanese company in 1990, and the technology has been applied in the world to process foods such as meat products, juices, and dips as well as to shuck shellfish and crustaceans, whereas fundamental knowledge has been accumulated by intensive studies. This article reviews HHP-induced quality changes in foods based on our research topics on starch gelatinization, bacterial inactivation, and bacterial injury as fundamentals and pickles and compotes as applications.