Advances in the Effects of High-pressure Processing on Milk Quality: From Microbial Safety to Nutritional Enhancement

As an advanced non-thermal food-processing technology, high-pressure processing (HPP) is characterized by low processing temperatures and minimal nutritional loss, demonstrating unique advantages in maintaining food quality. Recently, its potential applications in dairy processing have attracted considerable attention. In the dairy processing sector, HPP has shown potential to replace pasteurization, offering significant value in ensuring dairy safety, extending shelf life, and enhancing product quality. This study systematically elucidated the differential inactivation effects of HPP on microorganisms in milk, including vegetative bacterial cells and spores. We investigates the pressure-dependent mechanisms by which HPP modulates conformational changes in casein micelles and whey proteins, as well as its effects on lipids and carbohydrates. This technology can also be applied to enhance the solubility of minerals and reduce the allergenicity of bovine milk, while preserving its bioactive components. Building on the current research, future studies should focus on developing kinetic models for the inactivation of pressure-resistant bacteria and clarifying the mechanisms underlying the effects of HPP on milk-derived bioactive components. This would facilitate the large-scale application of this technology in the dairy industry.