Hami Alpas
Middle East Technical University, Turkey
Title: Non-thermal Processing in Food Industry: Modeling, Food Safety and Consumer Acceptance
Biography
Biography: Hami Alpas
Abstract
Today’s mainstream food preservation methods mostly depend on two dimensions- namely time and temperature and have several drawbacks. The use of heat (pasteurization, sterilization and blanching, etc.) can destroy nutrients such as thermally labile vitamins and also components responsible from product flavor and taste. It can also produce some undesirable compounds originated from Maillard reaction and caramelization. All of these changes result in products that are far from being original. This contradicts with modern consumers’ desire for the fresh and natural food products bringing the need for alternative non-thermal processing methods. Among these High Hydrostatic Pressure (HHP), has been recently branded-patented as “Pascalization”. Its main difference from conventional thermal processing is the addition of the third variable-pressure- in addition to lower heat / shorter time combination with respect to traditional thermal treatment making it a 3-D process. The process is fast, safe, effective and globally producing food-edible products without any additives or preservatives ranging from meat-dairy-seafood-deli to fruit/vegetable juices and even pet food. HHP technology has been also quoted as being one of the best innovations in food processing in the last fifty years. The pros and cons of this technology with recent applications in modeling with food safety requirements and consumer acceptance will be summarized together with the current facts and myths.