High-pressure processing of fruits and fruit products

In the last decade, the food industry has seen a high rate of commercial expansion of the use of pressurized products. This is mainly due to the natural, fresh, and raw-like characteristics (sensorial, nutritional, and functional) that can be obtained after cold high pressure pasteurization. Foods with a high acid content, such as fruits, are particularly good candidates for high pressure processing. Color, flavor and texture are important quality characteristics of fruits and fruit products as they are major factors affecting sensory perception and consumer acceptance. Commercially, higher pressures are preferred, around 600 MPa, as a means of accelerating the inactivation process. The pressure resistance of vegetative microorganisms often reaches a maximum at ambient temperatures, so the initial temperature of the food prior to high pressure processing can be reduced or elevated to improve inactivation at the processing temperature. This chapter reviews the main findings related to the effect of high pressure processing on fruits and fruit-based products, from 2004 onwards.