High-pressure processing combined with heat for fruit and vegetable preservation

In addition to chilled HP pasteurized products, there is a need for ambient stable fruit and vegetable products of high quality that can be stored at ambient temperatures for longer times. Alternative sterilization methods resulting in high quality products can therefore be interesting. Moreover, these technologies can contribute to the reduction of food waste from fruit and vegetable products, as fruit and vegetable products are one of categories of products which are spilled due to short shelf life. High pressure processing at elevated temperature could be an interesting option for production of ambient stable products with fruit and vegetables. Various processes are being developed that show that it is indeed possible to inactivate all the micro-organisms, including spores, and enzymes resulting in a stable product at ambient storage conditions. The research summarized in this chapter, showed the impact on texture, color, flavor and nutrients in fruit and vegetables. At the moment, this process is still under investigation and not applied in industry. To bring high pressure sterilization a step forward to implementation, it is crucial that good examples are being developed of complex food products with high added value.