Ultra High Pressure Technology and its Use in Surimi Manufacture: An Overview

Using ultra high pressure (UHP) technology as a non-thermal preservation technique to ensure high quality food products has been investigated with increasing interest for many years. Since high pressure processing has become a viable commercial process within the last decade, its utilisation has been extended to include seafood products, a highly valued niche market. While surimi seafoods have traditionally been commercialised in Japan, surimi has been marketed in North America, Europe, Russia and other Asian countries over the last 20 years. The advantages of UHP surimi processing include manufacture of surimi seafood with natural appearance and imitation seafood analogues, as well as important improvements in textural properties such as hardness and elasticity. UHP can also modify physical and rheological properties of proteins, which could lead to the development of new pressurised seafood products. In short, UHP is a promising technology that could eventually replace heat-induced surimi gels.