High-pressure processing equipment for the food industry

Abstract

High-pressure processing has been adopted by a number of food processors, and the demand for adequate equipment in size and throughput is continuously growing. This chapter provides information on the basic components of industrial-scale high-pressure equipment and how they work. This may help to select appropriate high-pressure systems to match industrial needs in a cost-effective manner where safety of the operations is paramount. This chapter includes write-ups from the most relevant companies manufacturing pilot plant and industrial high-pressure systems for processing foods. Major components of the systems are presented, specifications are summarized, and modes of operations are described. The contribution from manufacturers makes the presentation of a number of models very accurate and facilitates highlighting those that are the most promising. At the same time, the equipment manufacturers are key to recommend the selection of the right piece of equipment for a given application and the identification of pros and cons of each model.