Advancements in emerging non-thermal preservation techniques for aquatic products: A comprehensive review of mechanisms, applications, and future directions

Abstract

The preservation of aquatic products is critical to ensuring food safety and quality. However, traditional preservation methods often fail to satisfy modern consumer demands for minimally processed, high-quality products. In response, novel non-thermal preservation techniques such as high-pressure processing (HPP), pulsed electric fields (PEF), cold plasma (CP), and ultrasound (US) are emerging as sustainable solutions. This review explores the application of these non-thermal techniques in aquatic product preservation, focusing on their effectiveness in microbial inactivation and maintaining quality. These novel techniques effectively inactivate microorganisms and extend the shelf life. However, challenges such as the HPP-induced texture and color changes and the CP-induced oxidative reactions persist. Additionally, high energy consumption and scalability challenges limit industrial applications. Future research should focus on the mechanisms behind the negative impacts of these technologies on quality and the corresponding control measures, as well as exploring their combination with traditional methods to further optimize the preservation of aquatic products. This review provides a comprehensive comparative analysis of non-thermal preservation techniques in aquatic product preservation, highlighting their advantages, limitations, and potential for integration with traditional methods. It also identifies critical research gaps and suggests future directions for optimizing these technologies.