High pressure food preservation refers to high pressure High pressure science and engineering is studying the effects of high pressure on materials and the design and construction of devices, such as a diamond anvil cell, which can create high pressure. By high pressure it is usually meant pressures of thousands or millions (megabars) of times atmospheric pressure (about 1 bar) used for food preservation Food preservation is the process of treating and handling food to stop or greatly slow down spoilage caused or accelerated by micro-organisms. Some methods, however, use benign bacteria, yeasts or fungi to add specific qualities and to preserve food (e.g., cheese, wine). Maintaining or creating nutritional value, texture and flavour is important. "Pressed inside a vessel exerting 70,000 pounds per square inch or more, food can be processed so that it retains its fresh appearance, flavor, texture and nutrients while disabling harmful microorganisms and slowing spoilage."[1]
History
High pressure food preservation was first discovered in the 1890s. In the 1990s, high pressure preserved acidified shelf stable In the food processing industry a shelf stable food product is one normally stored refrigerated which has been altered so that it can be safely stored in a sealed container at room or ambient temperature for a usefully long shelf life. For instance, the first shelf stable formulation of ranch dressing, created in 1983, had a shelf life of 150 days food was demonstrated; but the processing equipment was too expensive for most commercial applications. By 2001, adequate commercial equipment was developed so that by 2005 the process was being used for products ranging from orange juice Orange juice is a popular beverage made from oranges by extraction from the fresh fruit, by desiccation and subsequent reconstitution of the dried juice, or by concentration and subsequent addition of water to the concentrate. The term "orange juice" is also used, both colloquially and commercially, to refer to "concentrated orange to guacamole Guacamole is an avocado-based dip which originated in Mexico. It is traditionally made by mashing ripe avocados with a molcajete with lime juice and salt. Some recipes call for tomatoes, coriander, garlic and seasonings to deli meats and widely sold. "Used since 1991 in Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south. The characters that make up Japan's name mean "sun-origin", which is why Japan is for jellies and jams, high pressure preserved food met its first commercial success in the U.S. market when Fresherized Foods in Keller, Texas, employed it for guacamole dip processing. [...] Hormel Foods, Austin, Minn., and Perdue Farms, Salisbury, Md., are employing the process to sterilize lunchmeat, chicken strips, and other meat items and to extend shelf-life to 100 days or longer."[2]
"Using hydrostatic pressure, water is pumped into a sturdy closeable steel vessel. Foods of any shape or size are equally squeezed around its surface area without crushing the food particles. It's effective on most moist foods, such as fruits, vegetables, sauces and ready-to-eat meats. It can even shell whole uncooked lobster. [...] The high pressure cycle takes no longer than six minutes, compared to traditional high-temperature processing that takes an hour or longer, without causing chemical changes that degrade food quality."[1]
The 2002 Industrial Achievement Award recognized the process with honors for significant advancement in food science and technology for food production.
Frost & Sullivan's 2005 Technology Leadership Award in the field of emerging food-processing technologies recognized ultra-high pressure processing technologies that destroy food-borne pathogens and spoilage organisms, thereby ensuring product safety and enabling longer shelf life.
Sources and notes
- ^ a b "High-Pressure Processing Keeps Food Safe". Military.com. http://web.archive.org/web/20080202232043/http://www.military.com/soldiertech/0,14632,Soldiertech_Squeeze,,00.html. Retrieved on 2008-12-16. "Pressed inside a vessel exerting 70,000 pounds per square inch or more, food can be processed so that it retains its fresh appearance, flavor, texture and nutrients while disabling harmful microorganisms and slowing spoilage."
- ^ "The future is (almost) here". Foodprocessing.com. http://www.foodprocessing.com/articles/2006/159.html. Retrieved on 2008-12-16.
Further reading
- High Pressure Processing References
- Avure Technologies Ships World's Largest 87,000 psi High Pressure Food Press to Fresherized Foods
Categories: Food preservation Categories: Food science | Food and drink preparation | Food safety
