23 May, 2009
Food Conservation Method: UltraHigh Hydrostatic Pressure (UHP)
Posted by: admin In: Food Safety and Hygiene
Nowadays, the most important factors for consumers are food safety and durability. Another task of manufacturers is producing and developing high nutritional foods.

Generally one of the fundamental application to prolong food shelf life is stopping microbial activity. This can be possible by removing microorganisms completely, preventing their growth and killing them. Another application is controlling chemical events (enzymatic reactions, water activity, oxidative events). The most important point for food technology is food safety with the least change in food quality and nutritional value. So many conservation methods have been developed for many years.
One of these methods is Ultra High Hydrostatic Pressure (UHP) which has been searched since last of 20. century. The first food products which were applicated with UHP were launched by Japans. Apart from food industry, Ultra High Hydrostatic Pressure also gets attention of pharmacy and industrial biotechnology.
UHP consists of 100 to 1000 Mpa pressure application to packing or unpacking solid and liquid foods. Process temperature starts with 0°C and may increase to above 100°C. Pressure vessels are enduring to high pressure and special designed. The pressure application differs between a millisecond to 1200 seconds.
According to reports, the UHP application in room temperature doesn’t change the chemical structure of food. For most efficient result UHP can be applied with the combination of heath treatment.
UHP effects equally to all parts of foods independently of food shape, size and composition, so package size, shape and composition are not the factors of UHP efficiency.
The most UHP resistant microorganism is Clostridium botulinum and its spores. It is resistant to 75°C, 30 minutes, 827 Mpa pressure application. Generally Gram-positive vegetative bacteria are more resistant to UHP than Gram-negative vegetative bacteria. Other resistant bacteria are Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella spp.
Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Listeria monocytogenes are sensitive to UHP. Byssochlamys nivea and Eupenicillum ascospores are resistant molds.


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