You have noticed how much the offer of "fruit to drink" has changed: after the classic pulpy nectars and the thirst-quenching 100% juices, now it's the turn of those before pressed or cold pressed and then treated at high pressures. A novelty that is conquering the Italians, as can be verified by going shopping at the supermarket. In the benches fridge in fact, there are numerous single-product juices and, above all, i vegetable mix, on whose labels there is written "cold pressed" or "treated by high pressures" or "HPP". Their strengths? They maintain taste, color, aroma and properties nutritional of the fruit and vegetables from which they are obtained. With the result of being more tasty, fresh and "natural". But is it possible? Merit of innovation technological applied to food production.

HPP, A LAW YOU NEED TO KNOW
Code name: HPP. An acronym that stands for High Pressure Processing, which we could translate as elevated pressures hydrostatic, even if the official term is "pascalizzazione"(And then we will understand why). In fact the characteristic of this innovative technology is that it subjects food products to hydrostatic pressures thousands of times higher than those of the environment to inactivate microbes, bacteria and enzymes fermenting, making them stable and safe. This objective unites it with other widespread technologies, such as the pasteurization and sterilization. There is, however, the difference. And it is no small thing: instead of using heat as one does in other processes, one uses technology "cold". In the HPP method food products are not subjected to temperatures so high as to "burn"Many nutrients and to change the flavor and texture. On the contrary, we work on pressures: the food, solid or liquid, already packaged, is inserted into autoclave in a cylindrical pressure chamber, which is then filled with water. The products remain immersed for 3-7 minutes, at a maximum temperature of 40 ° C (but usually used 20 ° C) and at a pressure up to 6 thousand bars, that is five times greater than the pressure in the maximum sea depths. And it is water that transfers the pressure to the immersed products, according to the principle of Pascal. Hence the term "pasture".

W THE COLD, DO THE HOT
The high pressure process is equivalent to a "cold pasteurization" and, while guaranteeing the safety food, has little effect on the sensory and nutritional starting food This treatment preserves the organoleptic characteristics (such as color, aroma and taste) and nutritional characteristics. That's why the products subjected to high pressures they have a more intense taste and more similar to that of the products fresh, and retain more vitamins and minerals. Qualities that last longer, prolonging life commercial of these fresh products up to a month (for example a fresh juice lasts well 20 days). Without having to resort to additives, such as preservatives or dyes, since it does not modify or darken the color of fruit and vegetables.

A "SPACIAL" NEW
No wonder, therefore, that HPP technology is conquering the world of production food. If the debut was in the States United, in the 90s, with milk, then it was the Japan to "believe in it" and to launch the first food products treated with HPP on the market. But Italy also played a fundamental role: it was produced in our country the first food (a meat sauce) "cold pasteurized" with high pressure, sent in space on the MIR station to verify the satisfaction with the astronauts. And it was Italian researchers who made many prototypes of HPP products and demonstrated that the HPP method can inactivate the Botox and prions (like those responsible for mad cow), and to extend their use to many foods: in addition to fruit juices, extracts and drinks, and vegetable, infusions, herbal extracts and di spices, also with ready meals based on pasta, meat, fish and vegetable, vegetable creams and sauces, jams, spreads, cured meats and sausages, clams and shellfish, products fish (for example steaks of ready-to-cook cod, already rehydrated with deadline ten times longer than the product not treated with HPP).

Manuela Soressi
August 2019