Application of supercritical and subcritical fluids in food processing

Using high pressure as a processing tool can overcome the legal limitations for solvent residues and restrictions on the use of conventional solvents in chemical processes. Additionally, particulate products can also be achieved by means of supercritical fluid (SCF) processing. This contribution will give a limited overview of applications of subcritical fluid and SCF and will present the energy savings compared with conventional production methods. Considering these qualities, SCFs could certainly be applied as a replacement for conventional solvents in extractive and non-extractive processes, as a nontoxic, inexpensive, non-flammable, and non-polluting solvent. Many applications, such as high pressure sterilization, jet-cutting, thin film deposition for microelectronics, and the separation of value-added products from fermentation broths in the biotechnology field, have been developed on an industrial scale to produce marketable food products.