EFFECT OF THE HIGH HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE IN THE MICRORGANISMOS

This paper aims at reviewing the effect of high pressure on microorganisms, and discussing the influence of extrinsic factors (substratum and temperature) on the treatment, as well as its principles and operations. High Pressure is an emergent technology and does not affect covalent chemical bounds presented in food molecules constituents, decreasing the sensorial and nutritional food attribute losses. This study concludes that effects of high pressure depend on product characteristics and process conditions, and, in general, it demonstrates efficiency on vegetative cell inactivation and, when combined with thermal treatment, it can inactivate spores, increasing the shelf life and guaranteeing microbiological safety.