ABSTRACT
In recent years, there has been increasing interest in moving from conventional methods of processing for food preservation toward the use of novel and emerging nonthermal food processing technologies, to control or eliminate microbes, enzymes, or chemical reactions and deliver more fresh-like, nutritious, valueadded, and safe high-quality food products to satisfy consumer demand for less processed foods with an extended shelf-life and that are free from additives. High pressure processing (HPP), irradiation, pulsed electric ˆeld (PEF), ultraviolet light (UVL), and other nonthermal processing methods are becoming increasingly popular to treat foods, capable of eliminating harmful microorganisms in foods, while minimizing thermal degradation reactions in foods compared to thermal processing (Barbosa-Cánovas et al. 1998; Barbosa-Cánovas et al. 2005; Guerrero-Beltráni et al. 2005). More information on various nonthermal processing technologies is available from the Nonthermal Processing Division of the Institute of Food Technologists (https://www.ift.org/divisions/nonthermal/). The major aims of utilizing these methods are to improve food safety and food quality concomitantly, and thereby facilitate the development of innovative high value products and the creation of new opportunities for expanding markets.
