Benefits and limitations of food processing by high-pressure technologies: effects on functional compounds and abiotic contaminants

The continuing and worldwide growth of pressure processing technologies to pasteurize and sterilize foods justifies the need to study the effects on functional compounds and abiotic contaminants as affected by high-pressure processing (HPP) and pressure-assisted thermal processing (PATP). Substantially more research will be required to determine the complex effects of the food matrix on chemical reactions leading to losses of nutrients and functional components, production of toxic compounds, and to modifications of toxic residues of chemicals used in food production or coming from food contact materials. In PATP treatments, pressure can also increase, decrease or have no effect on the thermal degradation rate of these substances. HPP has no major negative and often beneficial effects on the retention of nutrients and functional components. However, information on PATP effects is very limited and additional research will be required before implementing this promising new technology.