1. Global context

Energy-efficient, using only water and electricity, with no chemical additives or release of free radicals, this "gentle technique" has a lot going for it in the age of ecology and sustainable development.

However, several decades after the first high-pressure-treated products appeared in Japan, the market share won by this technology remains very modest, with regular development representing around 15 new industrial installations per year. In 2007, there were 115 high-pressure plants in 60 factories producing more than 150 different products, with a total output of around 150,000 t per year, essentially designed to "pasteurize" foodstuffs, i.e. inactivate vegetative microbial forms while preserving the functional properties of the food.

The United States accounts for over half of all installations worldwide. Europe is developing more slowly,...