High Hydrostatic Pressure Effects on the Texture of Meat and Meat Products

TLDR

High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatment alters meat protein conformation, causing denaturation, aggregation, or gelation, and changes muscle texture by disrupting hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions, unlike heat treatment which breaks hydrogen bonds. The study discusses the limitations and future applications of high‑pressure technology. HHP disrupts noncovalent interactions in proteins, then allows intra‑ and inter‑molecular bonds to reform, altering protein structure. HHP can tenderize or toughen meat depending on protein system, pressure, temperature, and duration; it improves juiciness, springiness, and chewiness, has little effect on connective‑tissue toughness, and prerigor treatment tenderizes meat while postrigor tenderizing requires combined pressure and heat.

Abstract

High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatment can influence meat protein conformation and induce protein denaturation, aggregation, or gelation. The means whereby HHP treatment exerts effects on meat protein structure change are due to the rupture of noncovalent interactions within protein molecules, and to the subsequent re-formation of intra- and inter-molecular bonds within or among protein molecules. Depending upon the meat protein system, the pressure, the temperature, and the duration of the pressure treatment, meat can be either tenderized or toughened. Muscle texture variation induced by heat treatment is due to breakage of hydrogen bonds, whereas changes from high pressure treatment are due to the rupture of hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions. Pressure treatment has little effect on the toughness of connective tissue. Juiciness, springiness, and chewiness are increased upon HHP treatment. Prerigor HHP treatment tenderizes meat, whereas tenderizing effects of postrigor HHP treatment are only measureable if pressure and heat treatment are combined. The limitations and future applications of high pressure technology are also discussed.