Application of high pressure treatment for cheese production

Abstract

High hydrostatic-pressure treatment offers the food industry a new technology for food preservation. Interest in high pressure application on milk has recently increased. Pressures between 300 and 600 MPa can inactivate microorganisms including most infectious food-borne pathogens. In addition to microbial destruction, it has been reported that high pressure improves rennet or acid coagulation of milk and increases cheese yield. A lot of work has been published on microorganism inactivation, denaturation of whey proteins, changes in the mineral distribution and coagulating properties on model or real milk systems. However, practical applications of high pressure treatment in the dairy industry have received little attention. This paper examines recent work in this area and summarizes parts of our ongoing work toward the development of high pressure applications for the cheese industry.