High Pressure Processing

High pressure processing is a novel athermal or non-thermal food processing technology

whereby foods are subjected to high isostatic pressure generally in the range of 100-600 MPa
at or around RT.

Need: It is a tool for cooking, sterilization, processing and preservation of foods as a

substitute of thermal treatments. There is a demand for minimally processed foods with no
additives. The technology has both food and non-food applications.

It was discovered by Hite in 1899. The effects of high pressure in food and food microbes
were first studied by him in milk, meat, fruits and vegetables. He reported that peaches and
pears remained commercially sterile for at least 5 years after processing at 4100 atm for 30
min at RT. Sterility was maintained because the spoilage microorganisms -yeasts and LAB
are baro-sensitive and low pH did not support outgrowth of spores present. Food processing
applications began in 1990 and the process was commercialised in 1991.

Advantages:

1. In HPP, no damage to nutraceutical value of foods including sensory properties.

2. Time of processing is also very less. The processing time viz. cycle time is 3-5 sec
(compression + holding + decompression + open/close + load/unload time). Thermal
processing needs few hours.

3. HPP results in small volume change of 4-15% at 1000 atm and 6000 atm
respectively. Liquid compression results in only a small volume change, high
pressure machines using water do not present the same operational hazards as
machines using compressed gases. Furthermore, a hydrostatic pressure is transmitted
instantaneously and uniformly to and into the food samples and can be kept at the
constant pressure without providing extra energy. Thus the operation of HPP
machines is safer and energy saving in comparison with operation of an autoclave
where there is no uniform distribution of P and T in the can or retort.

Types of HPP:

1. Cold isostatic pressing (CIP): This is a forming technique where high isostatic
pressure is applied at RT, pressures of 50-600 MPa is used for foods and metal
ceramics.
2. Warm isostatic pressing (WIP): It is also a forming technique in which isostatic
pressure is applied in combination with temperature ranging from ambient to 
200 oC; used for products that require a chemical reaction during compression
phase; for cultures and biological systems.
3. Hot isostatic pressing (HIP): It is also a forming technique in which isostatic
pressure is applied is 100-400 MPa and temperature up to 2200 C. Gases such as
Ar, N2, He and air are used to shape ceramic powders.
A typical HPP system:

1. High pressure vessel and closures:

The pressure vessel is a forged, monolithic cylindrical vessel constructed of low alloy
steel of high tensile strength. Interrupted threaded closures are used.
2. Pressure generation system:
Once loaded with packages, the vessel is filled with a pressure transmitting medium
(water or inert gases). After all air has been removed from the vessel, high pressure is
generated by direct compression, indirect compression or heating of the pressure
medium. Pressure is generated by a piston driven by a low pressure pump or by high
pressure intensifiers (4.5 times).
3. Temperature control device:
Temperature of the load and the pressure medium can be controlled by external or
internal heating/cooling of the vessel.
4. Material handling system:
It incorporates automatic mould filling, closing and washing stations and automatic
transport to and from the pressure vessel.

There are two ways of pressure generation:

A. Direct compression: In this case, the pressure medium is directly pressurised by a piston,
driven at its large diameter end by a low pressure pump. This method allows very fast
compression but is restricted to small diameter vessels.
B. Indirect compression: Here a large pressure intensifier is used to pump the pressure
medium from reservoir into the closed vessel until desired pressure is reached.

There are two ways of filling:

A. Wet bag: The mould is filled outside the pressure vessel and then placed into the pressure
vessel; takes a few minutes.
B. Dry bag: The mould is filled inside the pressure vessel and filled insitu; takes 20-60 sec.

Mode of operation:

In pressure treatments, samples are packaged in such a way that free air is excluded during
pressure treatment. This avoids complication of change of composition of samples due to
dissolution of gases when pressure is increased. Samples are generally sealed in evacuated
flexible plastic bags (with Aluminium). The packages are placed in trays or buckets and
loaded into vessels filled with water. The vessel is closed and pressure increased by moving
the plunger into the vessel until the desired pressure level is reached. After pressurising, the
vessel is decompressed and the products unloaded.

Applications:

1. Prolonged storage time for desserts, pickles, cheese, seasonings, sauce, spices, milk
and natural juices.
2. Prevention of contamination by microbes in fish, meat, eggs, polished rice, starches,
soybean, desserts and pickles, milk and natural juices.
3. Deactivation of hazardous protein in milk.
 4. Development of new food products with fish, meat, eggs, polished rice, starch, soya
protein and cheese.
5. Manufacture of partially cooked foods of fish, meat, eggs, polished rice and starches.

Key effects of HPP:

1. Inactivation of microbes.
2. Modification of biopolymers such as protein denaturation, enzyme activation or
inactivation, gel formation, influence on degradation or extraction.
3. Quality retention: especially for flavours and colours since non-covalent bonds are
affected by pressure.
4. Product functionality as exemplified by density changes, freezing and melting
temperatures and textural attributes.

1. Inactivation of microbes:

High HPP produce a number of changes in microbes including changes in cellular

morphology, genetic mechanisms, biochemical reactions, cell membrane and spore coats.

Cell morphology:

 Increases membrane permeability

 Collapse of intercellular gas vacuoles
 Leakage of constituents
 May be fatal to cells

E.g.s.

For S. cerevisae at pressures up to 4000 kgf/cm2, the nuclear structure and organelles were
deformed and at > 4000 kgf/cm2, loss of intercellular material was almost complete.

Genetic mechanism:

 Nucleus acids were disrupted as H2 bonds were affected.

 Enzyme-mediated steps of DNA replication and transcription are disrupted by
pressure.

Cell membrane:

Main cell membrane constituents are phospholipids and proteins with the
structure maintained by hydrogen and hydrophobic bonds. Under pressure, a
reduction in volume of membrane bilayer occurs. Gram -ve bacteria were
inactivated by lower pressure than Gram +ve bacteria.

Biochemical reactions:

 Enhances reactions that lead to a volume decree and generally retards reactions
involving a volume increase.
 Pressure affects the systems in two ways:
  Reducing the available molecular space
 By reducing interchange reactions
 Protein denaturation due to unfolding of the native state
 Alteration of intermolecular structures and conformational changes at
the active site.
Egs.
 Milk exposed to 6800 atm for 10 min at RT shows a reduction of micro
flora from 107 cells/ml to 101 to 102 cells/ml, while pressure over 4000
atm for 1 h delays souring of milk by 24 h at RT.
 For meat, a pressure of 5400 atm with simultaneous exposure to 52o C
for 1 h resulted in a product with no signs of microbial deterioration
when opened 3 months later.
 Pressure of 3500 atm for 30 min or 4000 atm for 5 min were required to
reduce the number of viable microbes by 2 log cycles in meat.
 Pressure of 200-3000 atm for 10 min at 10 oC prevented acidification of
yogurt but maintained initial count of LAB and desired texture of yogurt.
 Pressure inactivated bacteria as a snow inducer- cultures of Erwinia
ananus can be used for nucleation of ice for freeze drying, freeze
concentration and frozen texture modification of foods and beverages.
These can be used with cryoprotectants (sugars, polyols) to cause
freezing point depression.

2. Modification of biopolymers such as protein denaturation, enzyme activation or

inactivation, gel formation, influence on degradation or extraction

Effect on enzymes:

 Amino and carboxypeptidase activities were lost entirely at 5000and

4000 atm respectively in beef.
 Pectinesterase and peroxidase activity of citrus juice was reduced by
pressurisation at 300 to 400 MPa for 10 min at 23 C.
 Preferential proteolysis of ß-lactoglobulin in milk occurs at 2000 atm.
This removes the major cause of milk allergenecity.
 Decolourisation of haemoglobin, a by-product of the meat industry
 Solubilisation or modification of fish proteins using specific proteases
 Both cured and non-cured pork increased in hardness when subjected to
4000 kgf/cm2 for 30 min at 25 oC, this increased digestibility by trypsin

Effect on gelation:

 Egg yolk formed a gel at a pressure of 4000 kgf/cm2 applied for 30 min
at 25 oC, original colour was preserved and texture was soft and
adhesive
 Fresh egg white became opaque at 5000 kgf/cm2 and was partially
coagulated
 Egg white when pressure treated were more easily digested than boiled
eggs; possessed natural flavour with no vitamin loss or amino acids, and
no formation of lysinoalanine.
 Pressure induces gelation of different kinds of surimi
Other food applications:

 Preservation of natural flavour:

Pressure treatment of non-pasteurised citrus juices resulted in flavour
close to fresh juice with no loss of vitamin C and a shelf life up to 17
months.

 Preservation of pickles:
Pickles as keepable vegetables after pressurisation had same property as
the original pickle. Pressure of 500 MPa and storage temperature of
37oC for 10 days did not cause spoilage.

 Storage of chilled foods:

Use of moderate hydrostatic pressure in combination with sub-zero
temperature has been proposed as a means of storing food products
without ice formation, avoiding damage due to freezing and microbial
spoilage. It also reduced the microbial load on chilled foods.