The continuing and worldwide growth of pressure processing technologies to pasteurize
and sterilize foods justifies the need to study the effects on functional compounds and
nonbiotic contaminants as affected by high pressure processing (HPP) and pressureassisted
thermal processing (PATP). Substantially more research will be required to
determine the complex effects of the food matrix on chemical reactions leading to losses
of nutrients and functional components, production of toxic compounds, and to
modifications of toxic residues of chemicals used in food production or coming from
food contact materials. In PATP treatments, pressure can also increase, decrease or have
no effect on the thermal degradation rate of these substances. HPP has no major
negative and often beneficial effects on the retention of nutrients and functional
components. However, information on PATP effects is very limited and additional
research will be required before implementing this promising new technology.Keywords: polyphenols,
pressure-assisted thermal processing (PATP),
abiotic contaminants,
antioxidants,
food packaging plastic materials,
heterocyclic aromatic amines (HCAs),
acrylamide,
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs),
chloropropanols,
vitamins,
nonbiotic contaminants,
pesticides,
high-pressure processing (HPP
