The Effects of High Pressure Process on Food Microorganisms

The emergence and development of new non-thermal methods in food industry, due to the adverse effects of heat, have found special significance in recent decades. High Pressure Process (HPP) is one of the most important modern technologies in the food industry in which food, with the aim of destroying pathogenic microorganisms and deactivate the enzymes that cause undesired changes and an increase in quality, is exposed to high pressure. Thus, the shelf life of foods increases and the damage to heat-sensitive compounds decreases. In this method, a liquid (usually water) is as heat transfer medium and high pressure 100 to 600 MPa is used in commercial processing. Based on isostatic principles, the pressure inside the container is quickly and evenly transferred to the food product which is under HPP, and all parts of the food get under equal pressure. The effects that HPP can put on microorganisms can primarily be divided to changes in cell morphology, genetic changes and metabolic reactions. Among the factors influencing the pressure resistance properties of microorganisms, type of microorganisms, growth stage, and environment requirements can be mentioned. In this paper, it is tried to briefly refer to the effects of this process on microorganisms and factors affecting the resistance of microorganisms.

High Pressure Process (HPP), microorganisms, food