Page 57 - FoodFocusThailand No.239 March 2026

SMART PRODUCTION

High-Pressure Thermal Processing such as polypropylene (PP) or Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), helps retain
(HPTP) shows strong potential to internally generated heat, ensuring a uniform temperature distribution and reliable
reduce the formation of heat-induced microbial inactivation.
contaminants, such as furan, which is The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval of mashed potatoes
commonly generated by the thermal processed using High-Pressure Thermal Processing (HPTP) marks a
degradation of vitamin C and sugars. significant milestone in industrial food sterilization. This advancement enables
Research conducted on pineapple the safe application of sterilization-level processing for baby foods, ready-to-eat
juice indicates that HPTP at a pressure meat products, and plant-based foods while preserving sensory quality and
of 600 MPa does not promote nutritional value, positioning HPTP as a promising alternative technology for the
additional furan formation, whereas global food industry in the near future.
conventional thermal processing at
comparable temperatures results
in significantly higher furan levels.
At the same time, HPTP retains More Information Service Info C008
more than 90% of vitamin C and
antioxidant compounds in various
fruit juice products. Furthermore, in
infant food applications, HPTP has
been shown to significantly reduce
the formation of acrylamide and
hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) when
compared with conventional retort
processing.
Sensory quality studies on ready-
to-eat shrimp and avocado purée
have shown that HPTP preserves
color, aroma, and natural pigments—
such as astaxanthin and chlorophyll—
more effectively than retort sterilization,
even in high-value products requiring
extended shelf life.

Packaging and Temperature
Control: Key Challenges
Packaging used in HPTP must
withstand extremely high pressures
of up to 600 MPa as well as elevated
temperatures of up to 121°C.
Conventional plastic films therefore
face risks of material layer separation
(delamination) or deterioration in gas
barrier performance.
Films containing ethylene vinyl
alcohol (EVOH), which offer excellent
oxygen barrier properties, may
temporarily lose effectiveness under
retort shock conditions due to moisture
absorption. However, partial recovery
may occur during storage. In contrast,
metal oxide–coated films (e.g.,
AlO or SiO ) provide strong barrier
x
x
properties but are brittle and prone
to microcracking under pressure,
resulting in permanent barrier loss.
Consequently, the development
of flexible and durable multilayer
packaging materials is critical to the
successful industrial application of
HPTP.
Effective sterilization also requires
that all regions of the product reach the
target temperature. Because pressure
vessel walls are thick metal structures
maintained at lower temperatures, cold
spots may form near vessel surfaces.
The use of insulated canisters made
of low-thermal-conductivity polymers,

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