Foreword

This book emanates from technical reports produced within the network
‘Minimal Processing of Foods’, running from 1997 to 2000. The network was
sponsored by the Nordic Industrial Fund and 38 companies in the five Nordic
countries. The editors of this book acted as coordinator (TO) and newsletter
editor (NB) in the network.
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1
Introduction
T. Ohlsson, SIK (Swedish Institute for Food and Biotechnology),
Gothenburg and N. Bengtsson, Consultant, Molnlycke

The term ‘minimal processing’ has been defined in various ways, for example
very broadly as ‘the least possible treatment to achieve a purpose’ (Manvell,
1996). A more specific definition which addresses the question of purpose
describes minimal processes as those which ‘minimally influence the quality
characteristics of a food whilst, at the same time, giving the food sufficient
shelf-life during storage and distribution’ (Huis in’t Veld, 1996). An even more
precise definition, which situates minimal processing methods within the context
of more conventional technologies, describes them as techniques that ‘preserve
foods but also retain to a greater extent their nutritional quality and sensory
characteristics by reducing the reliance on heat as the main preservative action’
(Fellows, 2000). Minimal processing can, therefore, be seen in the context of the
traditional concern of food processing to extend the shelf-life of food. At the
same time, whilst they value the convenience that increased shelf-life can bring,
consumers have become more critical of the use of synthetic additives to
preserve foods or enhance characteristics such as colour and flavour (Bruhn
2000). They have also placed a greater premium on foods which retain their
natural nutritional and sensory properties. Minimal processing techniques have
emerged to meet this challenge of replacing traditional methods of preservation
whilst retaining nutritional and sensory quality.
Although some commentators contrast minimal processing techniques with
thermal processing, developments in thermal technologies have been considered
‘minimal’ where they have minimised quality losses in food compared to
conventional thermal techniques (Ohlsson, 1996). This collection therefore
opens with a broad-ranging review of the minimal processing of foods with
thermal methods. Chapter 2 discusses both high temperature short time (HTST)
techniques such as aseptic processing and LTLT (low temperature long time)
2 Minimal processing technologies in the food industry

techniques like sous-vide processing which seek to achieve a better balance

between preservation and food quality. The chapter also discusses infrared
heating which, like conventional thermal processing, heats a food indirectly.
However, arguably the biggest single development in minimal thermal
processing has been the application of volume heating methods, which generate
heat directly within the product. The second part of the chapter looks at
techniques such as ohmic and dielectric (radio frequency and microwave)
heating which, potentially, bring new efficiencies to thermal processing.
Chapter 3 discusses a wide range of emerging non-thermal minimal
processes, beginning with the two at the most advanced state of development
and use in the food industry: irradiation and high pressure processing. In the case
of each technique, as with other chapters in the book, the contributors discuss the
principles underlying the process, the technology used and applications to
particular food products. They also discuss the principal strengths and
weaknesses of each technique and likely future developments. They then
consider a number of methods based on the pulsed discharge of a high energy
capacitor: pulsed white light, ultraviolet light and in particular the use of pulsed
electric fields. After coverage of oscillating magnetic fields, the chapter
concludes by considering a range of other non-thermal antimicrobial treatments
such as ultrasound. In each case, the contributors describe the current state of
research and likely prospects for the technology.
The following two chapters discuss developments in packaging. Chapter 4
considers modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), covering principles,
technologies and applications in the case of non-respiring and respiring foods
such as fruit and vegetables. Complementing this chapter is a review of so-called
‘active’ and ‘intelligent’ packaging (of which MAP is sometimes considered an
example). Active and smart packaging is distinct in that it responds actively to
changes in the food package. As an example, smart packaging can now include
materials designed to absorb or emit chemicals during storage, thereby
maintaining a preferred environment within the package which maximises
product quality and shelf-life. Examples include oxygen, ethylene and water
absorbers, and ethanol and carbon dioxide emitters. The chapter describes these
kinds of active packaging and others such as packaging materials containing
antioxidants and antimicrobials, which help to extend shelf-life, and packaging
designed to remove unwanted flavour compounds. One particularly important
branch of active packaging is that designed to measure changes during storage
and distribution, for example in picking up potential temperature abuse. The
chapter therefore discusses current research in such areas as time–temperature
indicators, oxygen and carbon dioxide indicators, freshness and doneness
indicators.
In response to consumer concerns about synthetic additives, the food industry
has developed a range of plant-derived additives with a preservative function.
These are reviewed in Chapter 6 which surveys a range of antimicrobial and
antioxidant agents. This is followed by two chapters on the critical issue of the
safety of minimal processing. In achieving the objective of ‘least possible
 Introduction 3

treatment’, food manufacturers now combine a number of more gentle processes

which collectively preserve a food without any individual process damaging
quality. This more complex approach may, however, make it easier for
pathogens to survive and pose a risk to consumers. This possibility has led to the
development of so-called ‘hurdle technology’ where an understanding of the
complex interaction of variables such as temperature, water activity, pH and
preservatives on pathogen survival is used to design a series of hurdles that do
not compromise quality but collectively ensure the microbiological safety of
food. The principles and application of hurdle technology are discussed together
with the range of existing and emerging hurdles. This discussion provides a
context for the following chapter which reviews the process of setting safety
criteria for minimally-processed foods.
The final three chapters begin with two detailed case studies which show
minimal processing in practice at differing points in the supply chain. One
chapter discusses minimal processing techniques in the production of fresh fruit
and vegetables, whilst a second considers the application of minimal techniques
in secondary processing, reviewing the application of high pressure processing
and pulsed electric fields to the processing of fish. The final chapter looks at the
future of minimal processing. The use of minimal techniques, underpinned by
hurdle technology, puts new demands on the supply chain from agricultural
production to the point of consumption. These new pressures are discussed
together with their implications for the future integration and simplification of
the supply chain in achieving safe foods of the quality that consumers expect.

1.1 References
BRUHN, C (2000) ‘Food labelling: consumer needs’, in Blanchfield, J. Ralph
(ed.), Food labelling, Woodhead Publishing Limited, Cambridge.
FELLOWS, P (2000) Food processing technology: principles and practice,
Woodhead Publishing Limited, Cambridge.
HUIS IN’T VELD, J H J (1996) ‘Minimal processing of foods: potential, challenges
and problems’, Paper presented to the EFFoST Conference on the Minimal
Processing of Food, Cologne, 6–9 November.
MANVELL, C (1996) ‘Opportunities and problems of minimal processing and
minimally-processed food’, Paper presented to the EFFoST Conference on
the Minimal Processing of Food, Cologne, 6–9 November.
OHLSSON, T (1996), ‘New thermal processing methods’, Paper presented to the
EFFoST Conference on the Minimal Processing of Food, Cologne, 6–9
November.