Effect of high hydrostatic pressure on microbiological quality of food products: comparison of laboratory and pilot plant results

The authors inoculated various food samples, and in some cases microbiological nutrient solutions, with pathogens (Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus) and with microbes causing food spoilage (Pseudomonas). Samples were treated in a high hydrostatic pressure facility at 300 600 MPa for 1-30 minutes. The viable cell counts of the microbe-inoculated samples were taken, and in this way the microbe-destroying effect of various treatments for the given microbes was determined. The examinations were carried out both in laboratory and in pilot plant equipment. The results show that there was no significant difference between the measurements of laboratory and pilot plant products, and the results correlate appropriately with the data in the literature (r(2) > 0.95).