Longer
shelf life thanks to high pressure
Source
of Article: http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/Processing/Longer-shelf-life-thanks-to-high-pressure
By Joanne Hunter, 05-May-2009
High-pressure processing (HPP)
technology developed by Australian researchers to extend shelf life of
chilled perishable products without the use of preservatives, is the star
turn of a new fruit-juice manufacturing plant hailed “the first of its
kind”, which opened recently in Melbourne, Australia.
The “unique” benefits of HPP are that it kills yeast, mould
and bacteria but does not affect freshness, flavour, colour, texture or
nutritional value of food, says the developer Food Science
Australia (FSA), a food, health and nutrition research
organisation.
The technology, which is used commercially for the first time in the
Melbourne plant, involves using pressures of about 6,000 times average air pressure
to pasteurise the food. It could replace the use of preservatives and heat
treatments which affect taste and nutritional value, according to FSA
Innovative Foods Centre director Dr Kees Versteeg.
Dairy industry
FSA worked with Donny Boy
Fresh Food , maker of Preshafruit juices, on juices and other
foods to be treated with HPP. Donny Boy is claimed to be the first company
in the world to supply HPP fruit to the dairy industry.
Opening Donny Boy’s Au$1.4m (€771,000) processing plant in Melbourne
last week, the state of Victoria’s Premier John Brumby said: “This new
processing facility is the first of its kind in Australia…...”
He continued: “Victoria is the second-largest manufacturer of
Australia’s fruit juice drinks, accounting for about 28 per cent of
the nation’s total fruit juice. Victoria’s horticulture industry, including
fruit growing, has an annual turnover of Au$1.92bn (over €1bn) and
exports are worth Au$226m (nearly €125m).”
Extensive research
Dr Versteeg commented: “It is exciting and rewarding to now see
our extensive research and work in products on the supermarket shelves and
being used as an ingredient in food service and industrial applications
such as fruit for yoghurt.”
Donny Boy managing director Andrew Gibb says FSA’s involvement was
essential to his company’s start-up: “Our company began life at Food
Science Australia’s Innovative Foods Centre. We undertook all trials and
first commercial production of our Preshafruit juices and fruits at FSA.”
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