High hydrostatic pressure treatment of beer and wine: A review

Abstract

Abstract High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) technology has become a reality in the food industry. Commercial use of HHP has been accepted in many countries and it is possible to find and buy products treated by HHP such as meat products, sea foods and fruit juices. Nevertheless, no HHP-treated beer and wine are introduced in the market throughout the world although rice wine is one of the earliest HHP-treated commercial products that appeared on the Japanese market. This contribution compiles the studies about HHP on beer and wine: in addition to microbial destruction, it has been reported that HHP improves some organoleptic properties of beer and wine without detrimental effects on important quality characteristics, such as color, pH and turbidity. Although more studies should be carried out on the sensory properties and consumer attitudes to HHP-treated beer and wine, HHP could be an alternative to the existing stabilization methods used in beer and wine industries. Industrial Relevance Studies have shown that HHP treatment not only inactivates the undesirable microorganisms but also improves the organoleptic properties of beer and wine. The pressure levels used to treat beer and wine were similar to the commercial applications used in fruit juice industry i.e., 400-600 MPa. Therefore, HHP has a huge potential to eliminate the negative effect of heat on the aroma and flavor beer and also to reduce the SO2 levels used in wine.