Enhancing Maternal Health: Cost-effective Alternatives in High Pressure Processing of Fruit Products

Abstract

The search for efficacious Alternatives to the Current Standard Procedure in the Food Manufacturing Industry is a public health imperative. Recent advances and rapid adoption of high-pressure processing units in food manufacturing is gaining momentum across various industry sectors. The momentum of industrial importance across various sectors of food manufacturing, has led to requiring extensive microbiological hurdle validation studies for efficacious and feasible utilization of the technology. Fruit juices such as apple juice are an important component of maternal and child health diets. In regards to, microorganisms moving through vertical and horizontal gene transfer mechanisms, these systems work in the prevention of natural and anthropogenic pathogens of public health concern. As a result, adapting High Pressure Processing (HPP) in the inactivation of the pathogens is important. In this study, the protocol involves exposure to various times and intensity levels of elevated hydrostatic pressure. HPP is being used to identify the most effective conditions for vector (microorganism) inactivation. There was a large area of effectiveness of the HPP technology eradicating microorganisms in toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 (STEC), Non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (nSTEC), Salmonella serovars, and Listeria monocytogenes. Each were effectively eradicated utilizing this HPP technology. These specific microorganisms were selected as they are some of the most common ones that are involved in foodborne illness. Elevated hydrostatic pressure is a non-thermal procedure that exposes pathogens to pressures of up to 80,000 PSI (>550 MPa). Various times (3, 4, and 5 minutes) at pressure intensity levels of 600 MPa, (87K PSI), 550 MPa (79K PSI), 480 MPa (70K PSI), 415 MPa (60K PSI), and 345 MPa (50K PSI) of elevated hydrostatic pressure were investigated at 4°C and for 45°C. This research measured the effect of HPP treatment in eradicating the microbial load with nominal effects on organoleptic and nutritional quality of fruit juices. The results of this study provide support of cost effective and healthy fruit juice options to mothers and their children.