Modelling of inactivation of microorganisms in the process of sterilization using high pressure supercritical fluids

Abstract

High hydrostatic pressure technology is a relatively new method for the food industry and is considered more as an alternative to traditional storage methods such as thermal processes. Inactivation of spores, models, yeasts, and viruses has been demonstrated by this method. Although issues related to the safety and longevity of food, as well as their legal permits, require extensive case studies, the available experimental findings can be useful in expanding the potential applications of high pressure in the food industry. In this paper, CO₂ is used as a fluid. Increasing the pressure in Weibull and log-logistic models from 2.5 MPa to 10 MPa has reduced the processing time from 700 minutes to 70 and 60 minutes, respectively. The log-logistic model in predicting the process of inactivation of microbes compared to the Weibull model has been the lowest, and also the log-logistic model has a suitable ability to predict the shoulder of the chart if the Weibull model does not have this ability and its error is almost high. Increasing the increase in pressure has increased the level of inactivation of Salmonella typhimurium and Listeria monocytogenes, except Listeria monocytogenes at a pressure of 6.05 MPa, which reduced inactivation.

Keywords:
food industry; high-pressure supercritical fluids; CO₂; weibull; log-logistic