High pressure thermal sterilization – development and application of temperature controlled spore inactivation studies

High pressure thermal sterilization is an emerging technology that can produce uniform, minimally processed foods of high quality, better than heat treatment alone. At present, it has not yet been successfully introduced into the food industry, possibly due to the less known inactivation mechanism of high resistant bacterial spores. This study developed and used a new analytical tool to improve the understanding of spore mechanisms at high pressures and temperatures. The generated data were exemplarily incorporated into analyses of industrial sterilization processes. An improved understanding of the mechanisms of spore inactivation will aid in the food safety assessment of high pressure thermal sterilization in particular, and also assist in the commercialization of this novel process, facilitating adoption by industry.