Effect of high hydrostatic pressure versus thermal pasteurization on the microbiological, sensory aspects and oxidative stability of olive pate

The present study examines the effect of high hydrostatic pressure processing (HHP) as an alternative to thermal pasteurization treatments for the conservation of olive pate and its stability during refrigerated storage, through the characterization of microbiological, physico-chemical and sensory aspects. The olive pate was made with green, pitted table olives packed in brine. Orange juice, olive oil, spices and potassium sorbate were added to the olives after being washed in water. To evaluate the effects of processing, four treatments of APH (450 and 600MPa for 5 and 10 min) and a thermal pasteurization (80 C for 20 min) were applied to compare them with the unprocessed product. APH-treated samples showed a further reduction in the presence of microorganisms, an increase in oxidative stability, a higher sensory acceptance, greater clarity and less browning regarding the colorimetric coordinates, in comparison with those treated by thermal pasteurization. The study of the shelf life of the product in refrigeration would indicate the feasibility to implement APH technology in order to obtain food with a similar shelf life to foods obtained through the traditional thermal pasteurization treatment, but with better sensory quality.