Applications of high hydrostatic pressures in the agr-food industry

In the food industry, the use of high hydrostatic pressure represents a potential innovation comparable to those brought about by pressure cookers or microwaves. However, this revolution is still greatly hampered by the inability to supply this low-cost technology to manufacturers, let alone the general public.

The applications of high hydrostatic pressure in the food industry are many and varied. They cover unit operations such as pasteurization, sterilization, blanching, freezing/thawing, texturing, forming, extraction, emulsification, confisage and ripening, and new applications are regularly proposed.

The contribution of this technology to these transformations is quite original, as the products obtained by high pressure often cannot be reproduced by other techniques.

The key to the successful application of this technology lies in a good understanding of pressure and its effects on matter, particularly food. These two fundamental points will be addressed in turn in the first two paragraphs of this dossier. The action of pressure on microorganisms, which remains the major effect of pressure for food applications, will then be considered, before exploring all the food applications of high pressure identified to date.