Nutritional improvement of plant foods by non-thermal processing

Proc Nutr Soc. 2002 May;61(2):311-8. doi: 10.1079/PNS2002162.

Abstract

As a result of the increasing consumer demand for minimally-processed fresh-like food products with high sensory and nutritional qualities, there is a growing interest in non-thermal processes for food processing and preservation. Key advanced technologies such as high-pressure processing, pulsed electric fields, dense gases and ultrasound are being applied to develop gentle but targeted processes to further improve the quality and safety of processed foods. These technologies also offer the potential for improving existing processes as well as for developing new process options. Furthermore, by adding new process dimensions (such as hydrostatic pressure, electric fields, ultrasonics, supercritical CO2) to the conventional process variables of temperature and time, they facilitate enlargement of the availability of unit operations. These operations might be applied effectively in unique combination processes, or as subsequent processing tools in more-targeted and subsequently less-intensive processes for food preservation and modification than the currently-applied processes.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Consumer Product Safety
  • Electricity
  • Food Handling / methods*
  • Food Handling / standards
  • Food Preservation / methods*
  • Food Preservation / standards
  • Food-Processing Industry
  • Hot Temperature
  • Humans
  • Hydrostatic Pressure
  • Nutritive Value
  • Plants, Edible
  • Taste
  • Ultrasonics