High-pressure processing of meat: Molecular impacts and industrial applications

High-pressure processing (HPP) has been the most adopted nonthermal processing technology in the food industry with a current ever-growing implementation, and meat products represent about a quarter of the HPP foods. The intensive research conducted in the last decades has described the molecular impacts of HPP on microorganisms and endogenous meat components such as structural proteins, enzyme activities, myoglobin and meat color chemistry, and lipids, resulting in the characterization of the mechanisms responsible for most of the texture, color, and oxidative changes observed when meat is submitted to HPP. These molecular mechanisms with major effect on the safety and quality of muscle foods are comprehensively reviewed. The understanding of the high pressure-induced molecular impacts has permitted a directed use of the HPP technology, and nowadays, HPP is applied as a cold pasteurization method to inactive vegetative spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms in ready-to-eat cold cuts and to extend shelf life, allowing the reduction of food waste and the gain of market boundaries in a globalized economy. Yet, other applications of HPP have been explored in detail, namely, its use for meat tenderization and for structure formation in the manufacturing of processed meats, though these two practices have scarcely been taken up by industry. This review condenses the most pertinent-related knowledge that can unlock the utilization of these two mainstream transformation processes of meat and facilitate the development of healthier clean label processed meats and a rapid method for achieving sous vide tenderness. Finally, scientific and technological challenges still to be overcome are discussed in order to leverage the development of innovative applications using HPP technology for the future meat industry.

Factors Affecting Microbial Inactivation during High Pressure Processing in Juices and Beverages: A Review

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this article is to review and discuss the factors affecting high pressure processing (HPP) in juices and beverages. The inactivation of microorganisms by HPP depends on numerous factors, including the magnitude of the pressure and the holding time, process temperature, compression and decompression rates, the microbiota, and the intrinsic properties of juices and beverages. Although extensive HPP research has been performed to characterize many of these factors, a number of issues, such as the rates of compression and decompression, still remain unresolved and need further investigation. In addition, some published results are conflicting and do not provide enough evidence to develop juice HPP "safe-harbor" parameters to achieve a minimum 5-log reduction of the pertinent microorganism and produce safe fruit juices and beverages.

HIGHLIGHTS

Landmarks in the historical development of twenty first century food processing technologies

Over a course of centuries, various food processing technologies have been explored and implemented to provide safe, fresher-tasting and nutritive food products. Among these technologies, application of emerging food processes (e.g., cold plasma, pressurized fluids, pulsed electric fields, ohmic heating, radiofrequency electric fields, ultrasonics and megasonics, high hydrostatic pressure, high pressure homogenization, hyperbaric storage, and negative pressure cavitation extraction) have attracted much attention in the past decades. This is because, compared to their conventional counterparts, novel food processes allow a significant reduction in the overall processing times with savings in energy consumption, while ensuring food safety, and ample benefits for the industry. Noteworthily, industry and university teams have made extensive efforts for the development of novel technologies, with sound scientific knowledge of their effects on different food materials. The main objective of this review is to provide a historical account of the extensive efforts and inventions in the field of emerging food processing technologies since their inception to present day.

Review : High-pressure, microbial inactivation and food preservation

High pressure (1 to 10 kbars, i.e. 100-1000 MPa) affects biological constituents and systems. Several physicochemical properties of water are modified, such as the density, the ionic dissociation (and pH), and the melting point of ice. Pressure-induced unfolding, aggregation, and gelation of food proteins mainly depend on the effects of pressure on various noncovalent bonds and interactions. Enzyme inactivation (e.g., of ATPases) also results from similar effects, but some enzymes, including oxidative enzymes from fruits and vegetables, are strongly baroresistant. Chemical reactions, macromolecular transconformations, changes in membrane structure, or changes in crystal form and melting point that are accompanied by a decrease in volume are enhanced under pressure (and vice versa). Several of these phenomena, still poorly identified, are involved in the high inactivation ratio (5–6 logarithmic cycles) of most vegetative microbial cells: gram-negative bacteria, yeasts, complex viruses, molds, and gram-positive bacteria, in this decreasing order of sensitivity to pressure. Much variability is noted in the baroresistance of microorganisms, even within one single species or genus. Other parameters influence this resistance: pressure level, holding time (a two-phase kinetics of inactivation is often observed that prevents the calculation of decimal reduction times), temperature of pressure processing (temperatures above 50°C or between –30 and +5°C enhancing inactivation), composition of the medium or of the food (the pH having apparently little influence, but high salt or sugar concentrations, and low water contents, exerting very strong baroprotective effects).

Taking into account the baroprotective effects of some food constituents and the strong resistance of some microbial strains, recent research aims at combined processes in which high pressure is associated with moderate temperature, CO2, other bacteriostatic agents, or to nonthermal physical processes such as ultrasounds, alternative currents, high-voltage electric pulses, and so forth. The safety and refrigerated shelf life of pressurized foods could be maintained or extended, while the sensorial quality should improve due to the reduced severity of thermal processing. Further research is, however, needed for the regulatory authorities to assess and accept these novel foods and processes.

Inactivation of Byssochlamys nivea ascospores in strawberry puree by high pressure, power ultrasound and thermal processing

Byssochlamys nivea is a mold that can spoil processed fruit products and produce mycotoxins. In this work, high pressure processing (HPP, 600 MPa) and power ultrasound (24 kHz, 0.33 W/mL; TS) in combination with 75°C for the inactivation of four week old B. nivea ascospores in strawberry puree for up to 30 min was investigated and compared with 75°C thermal processing alone. TS and thermal processing can activate the mold ascospores, but HPP-75°C resulted in 2.0 log reductions after a 20 min process. For a 10 min process, HPP-75°C was better than 85°C alone in reducing B. nivea spores (1.4 vs. 0.2 log reduction), demonstrating that a lower temperature in combination with HPP is more effective for spore inactivation than heat alone at a higher temperature. The ascospore inactivation by HPP-thermal, TS and thermal processing was studied at different temperatures and modeled. Faster inactivation was achieved at higher temperatures for all the technologies tested, indicating the significant role of temperature in spore inactivation, alone or combined with other physical processes. The Weibull model described the spore inactivation by 600 MPa HPP-thermal (38, 50, 60, 75°C) and thermal (85, 90°C) processing, whereas the Lorentzian model was more appropriate for TS treatment (65, 70, 75°C). The models obtained provide a useful tool to design and predict pasteurization processes targeting B. nivea ascospores.

Reduction of Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus stearothermophilus and Streptococcus faecalis in meat batters by temperature-high hydrostatic pressure pasteurization

People have a growing preference for fresh, healthy, palatable and nutritious meals and drinks. However, as food deterioration is a constant threat along the entire food chain, food preservation remains as necessary now as in the past. High pressure processing is one of the emerging technologies being studied as an alternative to the classical pasteurization and sterilization treatments of food. Samples of fried minced pork meat were inoculated with strains of Streptococcus faecalis and with sporulating microorganisms like Bacillus subtilis and stearothermophilus. The samples were subjected to several combined temperature-high pressure treatments predicted by the mathematical model applied in Response Surface Methodology. Using the "Box-Behnken" concept, the number of tests for a whole area of pressure-temperature-time-combinations (pressure variation: 50-400 MPa, temperature variation 20-80°C, time variation 1-60 min) could be limited to 15. In the center point of the model, the experimental combination was performed in triple to estimate the experimental variance. All the tests were executed in a randomized order to exclude the disturbing effect of environmental factors. Microbial analysis revealed for each microorganism an important reduction in total plate count, demonstrating a superior pressure resistance of the sporulating microorganisms in comparison with the most pressure resistant vegetative species Streptococcus faecalis. The effect of the medium composition could be neglected, showing little protective effect of, e.g. the fat fraction as seen in heat preservation techniques.

Development of high hydrostatic pressure in biosciences: pressure effect on biological structures and potential applications in biotechnologies

Compared to temperature, the development of pressure as a tool in the research field has emerged only recently (at the end of the XIXth century). Following several developments in Physics and Chemistry during the first half of the XXth century (in particular the synthesis of diamond in 1953-1954), high pressures were applied in Food Science, especially in Japan. The main objective was then to achieve the decontamination of foods while preserving their organoleptic properties. Now, a new step is engaged: the biological applications of high pressures, from food to pharmaceuticals and biomedical applications. This paper will focus on three main points: (i) a brief presentation of the pressure parameter and its characteristics, (ii) a description of the pressure effects on biological constituents from simple to more complex structures and (iii) a review of the different domains for which the application of high pressures is able to initiate potential developments in Biotechnologies.

Trends in technology, trade and consumption likely to impact on microbial food safety

Current and potential future trends in technology, consumption and trade of food that may impact on food-borne disease are analysed and the key driving factors identified focusing on the European Union and, to a lesser extent, accounting for the United States and global issues. Understanding of factors is developed using system-based methods and their impact is discussed in relation to current events and predictions of future trends. These factors come from a wide range of spheres relevant to food and include political, economic, social, technological, regulatory and environmental drivers. The degree of certainty in assessing the impact of important driving factors is considered in relation to food-borne disease. The most important factors driving an increase in the burden of food-borne disease in the next few decades were found to be the anticipated doubling of the global demand for food and of the international trade in food next to a significantly increased consumption of certain high-value food commodities such as meat and poultry and fresh produce. A less important factor potentially increasing the food-borne disease burden would be the increased demand for convenience foods. Factors that may contribute to a reduction in the food-borne disease burden were identified as the ability of governments around the world to take effective regulatory measures as well as the development and use of new food safety technologies and detection methods. The most important factor in reducing the burden of food-borne disease was identified as our ability to first detect and investigate a food safety issue and then to develop effective control measures. Given the global scale of impact on food safety that current and potentially future trends have, either by potentially increasing or decreasing the food-borne disease burden, it is concluded that a key role is fulfilled by intergovernmental organisations and by international standard setting bodies in coordinating the establishment and rolling-out of effective measures that, on balance, help ensure long-term consumer protection and fair international trade.

Application of Supercritical Fluid Extraction in Biotechnology

In the present paper recent investigations on the applications of supercritical fluid extraction (SCE) from post fermentation biomass or in situ extraction of inhibitory fermentation products as a promising method for increasing the yield of extraction have been reviewed. Although supercritical CO2 (SC-CO2) is unfriendly, or even toxic, for some living cells and precludes direct fermentation in dense CO2, it does not rule out other useful applications for in situ extraction of inhibitory fermentation products and fractional extraction of biomass constituents. This technique is a highly desirable method for fractional extraction of biomass constituents, and intracellular metabolites due to the potential of system modification by physical parameters and addition of co-solvents to selectively extract compounds of different polarity, volatility and hydrophilicity without any contamination.

Combined treatment of high pressure and heat on killing spores of Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris in apple juice concentrate

Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris, a thermoacidophilic and spore-forming bacterium, has been isolated from spoiled acidic juices and is considered to be one of the important target microorganisms in quality control of acidic canned foods. Combined high pressure and heat treatment showed an effectiveness to control A. acidoterrestris spores. However, the effectiveness of the combined treatment may change upon the apple juice concentration. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate different levels of apple juice concentrate for reduction of Alicyclobacillus spores by high pressure and heat. Spores of A. acidoterrestris were inoculated into three different concentrations of apple juice (17.5, 35, and 70 degrees Brix), and subjected to three high-pressure treatments (207, 414, and 621 MPa) at four different temperatures (22, 45, 71, and 90 degrees C). High-pressure treatment (207, 414, and 621 MPa) at 22degrees C did not reduce the level of spores regardless of the apple juice concentration (P > 0.05). In diluted apple juice (17.5 degrees Brix), the combined treatment of high pressure and heat resulted in spore reductions of about 2 log at 45 degrees C, and more than 5 log at higher temperatures (71 and 90 degrees C) in a high-pressure and temperature-dependent manner. For apple juice with a higher concentration (30 degrees Brix), high-pressure treatment showed no effect at 45 degrees C but resulted in about 2 and 4 log reduction at 71 and 90 degrees C, respectively. However, for apple juice concentrate (70 degrees Brix), treatment with heat or high pressure alone, or their combinations showed no inactivation against spores of A. acidoterrestris. It is likely that differences in the water availability explain the greater resistance of spores to high-pressure inactivation in the juice concentrates than in diluted juices. Our results demonstrate that the effect of high pressure combined with heat against spores of A. acidoterrestris was highly dependent on the apple juice concentration.

Inactivation of Bacillus spores by the combination of moderate heat and low hydrostatic pressure in ketchup and potage

The combination effect of moderate heat and low hydrostatic pressure (MHP) on the reduction of Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus coagulans and Geobacillus stearothermophilus spores in food materials (potage and ketchup) was investigated. These bacterial spores were suspended in potage (pH 7), acidified potage (pH 4), neutralized ketchup (pH 7) and ketchup (pH 4). The suspensions were treated with and without pressure (100 MPa) and temperatures of 65-85 degrees C for 3 to 12 h. The bacterial spores were inactivated by 4-8 log cycles during MHP treatment in potage, acidified potage and ketchup, whereas the spores were highly resistant to long time heat treatment in potage and neutralized ketchup. The degrees of spore destruction were mostly dependent on pH and medium composition during MHP treatment. The inactivation effect in MHP treatment was higher at the pH 7 than at pH 4 both in ketchup and potage. The bacterial spores showed higher inactivation in potage than ketchup during MHP treatment.

Effects of High Pressure Processing on Infectivity ofToxoplasma gondiiOocysts for Mice

High pressure processing (HPP) has been shown to be an effective non-thermal method of eliminating non-spore forming bacteria from a variety of food products. The shelf-life of the products is extended and the sensory features of the food are not or only minimally effected by HPP The present study examined the effects of HPP using a commercial scale unit on the viability of Toxoplasma gondii oocysts. Oocysts were exposed from 100 to 550 MPa for 1 min in the HPP unit and then HPP treated oocysts were orally fed to groups of mice. Oocysts treated with 550 MPa or less did not develop structural alterations when viewed with light microscopy. Oocysts treated with 550 MPa, 480 MPa, 400 Mpa, or 340 MPa were rendered noninfectious for mice. Mice fed oocysts treated with no or 100 to 270 MPa became infected and most developed acute toxoplasmosis and were killed or died 7 to 10 days after infection. These results suggest that HPP technology may be useful in the removal of T. gondii oocysts from food products.

Novel method of inactivation of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 by the freeze pressure generation method

It has been reported that high-pressure (over 600 MPa) treatment at room temperature inactivates human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), and it has recently been shown that the high pressure generated by the expansion of water due to freezing (freeze pressure generation method, or FPGM) has an inactivating effect on bacteria and fungi. In this study, we examined the effects of treatment by FPGM on HIV-1. A sturdy vessel filled with water and securely closed with a lid was kept at 0 degrees C to -30 degrees C. High pressures of 200 MPa and 250 MPa were generated at -20 degrees C and -30 degrees C, respectively. When T-cell-tropic and macrophage-tropic laboratory strains of HIV-1 were kept at -10 degrees C, the virus infectivity decreased to approximately 1/100, and was completely lost at -20 degrees C and -30 degrees C. Four T-cell-tropic and four macrophage-tropic laboratory strains and clinical isolates of HIV-1 became completely inactivated at -30 degrees C. Treatment by FPGM at -20 degrees C to -30 degrees C reduced HIV-1 reverse transcriptase activity to approximately one tenth. In addition, treatment by FPGM at -20 degrees C was found to destroy the ability of HIV-1 to bind to CD4+ cells. In conclusion, this study showed that treatment by FPGM at -20 degrees C to -30 degrees C destroyed the infectivity of a wide range of HIV-1 strains, and suggested that the mechanisms of HIV-1 inactivation were the reduction in viral enzyme activity and the loss of the cell-binding ability of a viral envelope protein.

Effect of high-pressure-induced ice I-to-ice III phase transitions on inactivation of Listeria innocua in frozen suspension

The inactivation of Listeria innocua BGA 3532 at subzero temperatures and pressures up to 400 MPa in buffer solution was studied to examine the impact of high-pressure treatments on bacteria in frozen matrices. The state of aggregation of water was taken into account. The inactivation was progressing rapidly during pressure holding under liquid conditions, whereas in the ice phases, extended pressure holding times had comparatively little effect. The transient phase change of ice I to other ice polymorphs (ice II or ice III) during pressure cycles above 200 MPa resulted in an inactivation of about 3 log cycles, probably due to the mechanical stress associated with the phase transition. This effect was independent of the applied pressure holding time. Flow cytometric analyses supported the assumption of different mechanisms of inactivation of L. innocua in the liquid phase and ice I (large fraction of sublethally damaged cells due to pressure inactivation) in contrast to cells subjected to ice I-to-ice III phase transitions (complete inactivation due to cell rupture). Possible applications of high-pressure-induced phase transitions include cell disintegration for the recovery of intracellular components and inactivation of microorganisms in frozen food.

Effects of combined pressure and temperature on enzymes related to quality of fruits and vegetables: from kinetic information to process engineering aspects

Throughout the last decade, high pressure technology has been shown to offer great potential to the food processing and preservation industry in delivering safe and high quality products. Implementation of this new technology will be largely facilitated when a scientific basis to assess quantitatively the impact of high pressure processes on food safety and quality becomes available. Besides, quantitative data on the effects of pressure and temperature on safety and quality aspects of foods are indispensable for design and evaluation of optimal high pressure processes, i.e., processes resulting in maximal quality retention within the constraints of the required reduction of microbial load and enzyme activity. Indeed it has to be stressed that new technologies should deliver, apart from the promised quality improvement, an equivalent or preferably enhanced level of safety. The present paper will give an overview from a quantitative point of view of the combined effects of pressure and temperature on enzymes related to quality of fruits and vegetables. Complete kinetic characterization of the inactivation of the individual enzymes will be discussed, as well as the use of integrated kinetic information in process engineering.

Effects of minerals on resistance of Bacillus subtilis spores to heat and hydrostatic pressure

Among Bacillus subtilis IFO13722 spores sporulated at 30, 37, and 44 degrees C, those sporulated at 30 degrees C had the highest resistance to treatments with high hydrostatic pressure (100 to 300 MPa, 55 degrees C, 30 min). Pressure resistance increased after demineralization of the spores and decreased after remineralization of the spores with Ca(2+) or Mg(2+), whereas the resistance did not change when spores were remineralized with Mn(2+) or K(+), suggesting that former two divalent ions were involved in the activation of cortex-lytic enzymes during germination.

Combining nonthermal technologies to control foodborne microorganisms

Novel nonthermal processes, such as high hydrostatic pressure (HHP), pulsed electric fields (PEFs), ionizing radiation and ultrasonication, are able to inactivate microorganisms at ambient or sublethal temperatures. Many of these processes require very high treatment intensities, however, to achieve adequate microbial destruction in low-acid foods. Combining nonthermal processes with conventional preservation methods enhances their antimicrobial effect so that lower process intensities can be used. Combining two or more nonthermal processes can also enhance microbial inactivation and allow the use of lower individual treatment intensities. For conventional preservation treatments, optimal microbial control is achieved through the hurdle concept, with synergistic effects resulting from different components of the microbial cell being targeted simultaneously. The mechanisms of inactivation by nonthermal processes are still unclear; thus, the bases of synergistic combinations remain speculative. This paper reviews literature on the antimicrobial efficiencies of nonthermal processes combined with conventional and novel nonthermal technologies. Where possible, the proposed mechanisms of synergy is mentioned.

Mechanism of the inactivation of bacterial spores by reciprocal pressurization treatment

AIMS

The mechanism of the inactivation of Bacillus subtilis spores by reciprocal pressurization (RP) was unclear. Therefore, the mechanism was investigated.

METHODS AND RESULTS

To investigate the effects of RP and continuous pressurization (CP) treatments on the inactivation and injury of B. subtilis spores, spores were treated at 25, 35, 45 and 55 degrees C under 200, 300 and 400 MPa. RP treatment was effective in injuring and inactivating spores. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy observation showed that spores treated by RP treatment were more morphologically and structurally changed than the ones treated by CP treatment. There were significant differences between the release of dipicolinic acid (pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid) by RP and CP treatments. From this result, it was concluded that the core fraction was released into the spore suspension.

CONCLUSIONS

The mechanism of RP treatment is believed to work as follows: hydrostatic pressure treatment initiated germination of bacterial spores, and the repeated rapid decompression caused disruption, injury and inactivation of the germinated spores.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

This study indicated that the physical injury of bacterial spores was effective to inactivate the bacterial spores through the disruption of spores and leakage of their contents.

Physiological and mathematical aspects in setting criteria for decontamination of foods by physical means

In heat processing, microbial inactivation is traditionally described as log-linear. As a general rule, the relation between rate of inactivation and temperature is also described as a log-linear relation. The model is also sometimes applied in pressure and in pulsed electric field (PEF) processing. The model has proven its value by the excellent safety record of the last 80 years, but there are many deviations from log-linearity. This could lead to either over-processing or under-processing resulting in safety problems or, more likely, spoilage problems. As there is a need for minimal processing, accurate information of the inactivation kinetics is badly needed. To predict inactivation more precisely, models have been developed that can cope with deviations of linearity. As extremely low probabilities of survival must be predicted, extrapolation is almost always necessary. However, extrapolation is hardly possible without knowledge of the nature of nonlinearity. Therefore, knowledge of the physiology of inactivation is necessary. This paper discusses the physiology of denaturation by heat, high pressure and pulse electric field. After discussion of the physiological aspects, the various aspects of the development of inactivation models will be addressed. Both general and more specific aspects are discussed such as choice of test strains, effect of the culture conditions, conditions during processing and recovery conditions and mathematical modelling of inactivation. In addition to lethal inactivation, attention will be paid to sublethal inactivation because of its relevance to food preservation. Finally, the principles of quantitative microbiological risk assessment are briefly mentioned to show how appropriate inactivation criteria can be set.

Inhibitory effects of high pressure and heat on Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris spores in apple juice

The effectiveness of combined high pressure and heat treatment for reducing spore levels of Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris, a thermoacidophilic spore-forming bacterium, in commercial pasteurized apple juice was investigated. Spores suspended in apple juice were successfully destroyed by combining high pressure with a mild or high temperature (45, 71, or 90 degrees C).

Alternative food-preservation technologies: efficacy and mechanisms

High-pressure processing, ionizing radiation, pulsed electric field and ultraviolet radiation are emerging preservation technologies designed to produce safe food, while maintaining its nutritional and sensory qualities. A sigmoid inactivation pattern is observed in most kinetic studies. Damage to cell membranes, enzymes or DNA is the most commonly cited cause of death of microorganisms by alternative preservation technologies.

Symposium on 'nutritional effects of new processing technologies'. New processing technologies: an overview

Most food-preservation techniques act by slowing down or completely inhibiting the growth of micro-organisms. Few techniques act by inactivating them. While heat remains the technique most extensively used for inactivation, there has been increasing interest recently in the development of alternative approaches in response to the desires of consumers for products which are less organoleptically and nutritionally damaged during processing and less reliant on additives than previously. The new approaches, therefore, mostly involve technologies that offer full or partial alternatives to heat for the inactivation of bacteria, yeasts and moulds. They include the application to foods of high hydrostatic pressure, high-voltage electric discharges, high-intensity laser and non-coherent light pulses, 'manothermosonication' (the combination of mild heating with ultrasonication and slightly-raised pressure), and high-magnetic-field pulses. In addition, a number of naturally-occurring antimicrobials, including lysozyme and low-molecular-weight products of micro-organisms are finding increasing use. High pressure is being used commercially to non-thermally pasteurize a number of foods, while the other physical procedures are in various stages of development and commercial evaluation. Possible nutritional consequences have so far been given little attention compared with microbiological ones.

The effect of growth stage and growth temperature on high hydrostatic pressure inactivation of some psychrotrophic bacteria in milk

The effect of high hydrostatic pressure on the survival of the psychrotrophic organisms Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus, and Pseudomonas fluorescens was investigated in ultrahigh-temperature milk. Variation in pressure resistance between two strains of each organism were studied. The effect of growth stage (exponential and stationary phase), growth temperature (8 and 30 degrees C) on pressure resistance, and sublethal pressure injury were investigated. Exponential-phase cells were significantly less resistant to pressure than stationary-phase cells for all of the three species studied (P < 0.05). Growth temperature was found to have a significant effect at the two growth stages studied. Exponential cells grown at 8 degrees C were more resistant than those grown at 30 degrees C, but for stationary-phase cells the reverse was true. B. cereus stationary-phase cells grown at 30 degrees C were the most pressure resistant studied. L. monocytogenes showed the most sublethal damage compared to B. cereus and P. fluorescens. B. cereus spores were more resistant to pressure than vegetative cells. Pressure treatment at 400 MPa for 25 min at 30 degrees C gave a 0.45-log inactivation. Pressure treatment at 8 degrees C induced significantly less spore germination than at 30 degrees C. This study indicates the importance of the history of a bacterial culture prior to pressure treatment and that bacterial spores require more severe pressure treatments, probably in combination with other preservation techniques, to ensure inactivation.