Supercritical carbon dioxide technology in food processing: Insightful comprehension of the mechanisms of microbial inactivation and impacts on quality and safety aspects

Abstract

Supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO₂) has emerged as a nonthermal technology to guarantee food safety. This review addresses the potential of SC-CO₂ technology in food preservation, discussing the microbial inactivation mechanisms and the impact on food products' quality parameters and bioactive compounds. Furthermore, the main advantages and gaps are denoted. SC-CO₂ technology application causes adequate microbial reductions (>5 log cfu/mL) of spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms, enzyme inactivation, and improvements in the storage stability in fruit and vegetable products (mainly fruit juices), meat products, and dairy derivatives. SC-CO₂-treated products maintain the physicochemical, technological, and sensory properties, bioactive compound concentrations, and biological activity (antioxidant and angiotensin-converting enzyme-inhibitory activities) similar to the untreated products. The optimization of processing parameters (temperature, pressure, CO₂ volume, and processing times) is mandatory for achieving the desired results. Further studies should consider the expansion to different food matrices, shelf-life evaluation, bioaccessibility of bioactive compounds, and in vitro and in vivo studies to prove the benefits of using SC-CO₂ technology. Moreover, the impact on sensory characteristics and, mainly, the consumer perception of SC-CO₂-treated foods need to be elucidated. We highlight the opportunity for studies in postbiotic production. In conclusion, SC-CO₂ technology may be used for microbial inactivation to ensure food safety without losing the quality parameters.