Safer baby food through high-pressure thermal sterilisation

Furan is a carcinogen that results from heat treatment techniques such as canning and jarring. Although current furan levels in food are far below what the FDA deems to be harmful, food scientists have developed a processing method that reduces furan levels.

Treating baby food puree with high-pressure thermal sterilisation (HPTS) instead of conventional thermal processing showed a reduction of furan, food scientists from the Technische Universität Berlin have found.

The researchers say that HPTS may offer an alternative form of processing that still delivers high-quality products. HPTS could offer a double benefit in terms of food safety and quality, and could be useful for additional food systems as well.

The processing method can also reduce other food processing contaminants such as acrylamide, HMF and MCPD-esters.

Additional research is needed to validate these findings and help implement this promising technology in the food industry, the scientists say

The researchers’ study of HPTS has been published in the Journal of Food Science, which is published by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT).

The abstract is available here.