Applicazione della tecnologia delle alte pressioni nell'industria alimentare : stima dei consumi energetici, dei costi di processo e dell'impatto ambientale

The high pressure technology consists in the application of pressure of 50-1,000 MPa to liquid or solid food, packed or not, in order to obtain its microbiological stabilization due to mechanic inactivation of microorganisms cellular membrane. The treatment is rapid, uniform and involves a low thermal damage of the product; in fact the processed product is of high quality and saleable as "similar to fresh product". The advantages of high pressure technology, compared to traditional technology, suggest its application in food industry. In this work the energetic consumptions and fixed and working costs for a line of tray apple puree treated by high pressure plant have been evaluated. The obtained results have been compared to the ones of a traditional processing line.