HPP in Food Product Development

As stated above, intrinsic and extrinsic factors of foods can also play a role in the response of an organism to HPP treatment. At lower pH values, the effect of HPP tends to be enhanced. In contrast, as one decreases water activity, the effect of HPP is generally reduced. Interesting effects have also been seen for product temperature, whereby lower pressures can be used to inactivate organisms at low and high temperatures, but higher pressures are required at moderate temperatures such as 20 to 30 degrees Celsius. Likewise, the presence of antimicrobial compounds in food products, such as bacteriocins, lysozyme, and essential oils, can play a part in enhancing the activity of HPP treatment.

Regulating

As the popularity of HPP has grown among food processors, agencies around the globe have also developed regulations to ensure that HPP products meet food safety standards. Canada and the European Union (EU) have taken the approach that HPP treated foods are considered novel foods. In Canada, a novel food product is defined as one that has never been used as food, results from a process that has not been previously used for food, or is a food that has undergone genetic modification and has new traits. These foods must be assessed by Health Canada on a case-by-case basis before they can be offered for sale. Several HPP foods have met this criterion, and have recently gained Health Canada approval. The EU has taken the approach that a novel food or ingredient is one that had no history or significant consumption in the European Union prior to May 15, 1997. To sell a food under this category, companies must either present a risk assessment to obtain authorization from a member state, the European Commission, and other EU states, or use another simplified notification procedure based on its “substantial equivalence” status.

In the U.S., HPP foods are not considered novel foods, and the use of HPP is mainly governed by the manner in which it will be applied. For instance, in certain juice products, if HPP is to be used as a means of inactivating pathogenic bacteria that are deemed to be biological hazards, one must comply with Juice HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) standards, and demonstrate that the process is able to reduce a pertinent pathogen in that product by at least 5 log cycles. Likewise, to be used as a post-lethality treatment for L. monocytogenes in ready-to-eat meat and poultry products, one must demonstrate that the HPP treatment is able to decrease the level of L. monocytogenes in the product by at least 1 log cycle before the product leaves the establishment. As different derivations of HPP treatment are developed, regulatory agencies will have a constant need to evaluate the use of HPP as a processing tool, in order to ensure that food safety standards are continuously being met.

HPP treatment of foods will continue to increase in popularity as more and more consumers continue to demand convenient foods that have the traits of being minimally processed. Food producers that choose to use HPP as an intervention in their processes will need to validate these processes to ensure they are meeting regulations.

Dr. Brandt is director of technical services at Food Safety Net Services, Ltd., where he assists in designing and coordinating challenge and validation studies along with providing technical and regulatory guidance. Reach him at [email protected].

References Furnished Upon Request.