SPAIN – Hiperbaric, a leading distributor of High Pressure Processing (HPP) technology equipment, has released the findings of a study in collaboration with the University of Burgos – Spain, showcasing the efficacy of HPP in ensuring the safety and quality of cold brew coffee.
The study highlights HPP’s capability to significantly reduce pathogenic bacteria levels while preserving the fresh flavor and quality attributes that consumers crave in cold brew coffee.
The study, conducted using a commercial blend of medium-roasted Arabica and Robusta ground coffee, involved inoculating samples with high concentrations of three major foodborne pathogens: E. coli, Listeria, and Salmonella. Subsequently, the samples underwent HPP treatment at 6,000 bar for three minutes, mimicking standard commercial processing conditions.
Results revealed that HPP achieved an impressive reduction of more than 6 logs in pathogenic bacteria levels, effectively eliminating them to below detection limits.
Furthermore, no bacterial regrowth was detected during the 90-day refrigerated storage period, affirming HPP as a robust kill step for enhancing the safety of ready-to-drink cold brew coffee.
In addition to its food safety benefits, the study highlighted HPP’s minimal impact on the sensory characteristics and overall quality of cold brew coffee.
Essential attributes such as flavor, acidity, color, bioactive compounds, dissolved solids, pH, and antioxidant activity remained unchanged by HPP treatment and remained stable even after more than three months of refrigeration.
Dr. Carole Tonello-Samson, Vice President of Business Development at Hiperbaric, emphasized HPP’s unparalleled ability to achieve substantial pathogen reduction while safeguarding the delicate flavors inherent in cold brew coffee.
She hailed HPP as an ideal pasteurization technology suited to meet the evolving safety and quality demands of today’s cold coffee market.
Dr. Mario Gonzalez, HPP Food Applications Specialist at Hiperbaric, echoed Dr. Tonello-Samson’s sentiments, asserting that the study’s findings serve as definitive validation of HPP’s efficacy in enhancing the safety and quality standards expected by consumers of cold coffee beverages.
The comprehensive study, titled “High Pressure Processing (HPP) for Cold Brew Coffee: Safety & Quality Assessment Under Refrigerated and Ambient Storage,” has been published in the journal Foods, providing invaluable insights into the application of HPP technology in the cold brew coffee industry.
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