Microbiological aspects of high-pressure processing of food: inactivation of microbial vegetative cells and spores

Abstract

High-pressure processing (HPP) of food utilizes elevated pressures with or without combination of heat to inactivate harmful pathogens and spoilage microorganisms in their vegetative or spore state. Since the treatment reduces thermal impact, pressure-treated products have better organoleptic attributes. The importance of identifying a relevant surrogate organism for high-pressure pasteurization and sterilization studies is highlighted. Process- and product-related factors influencing the antimicrobial efficacy of pressure treatment are reviewed.