Hydrodynamic Cavitation: A Novel Non-Thermal Liquid Food Processing Technology

Area of Science:

• Food Science and Technology
• Chemical Engineering
• Process Engineering

Background:

• Hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) is an emerging non-thermal processing technology.
• HC involves extreme conditions like high pressure (~500 bar) and temperature (~5,000 K), inducing oxidation.
• Its unique generation mechanism makes HC suitable for industrial-scale liquid food processing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent advances in hydrodynamic cavitation for liquid food processing.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of HC on physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of liquid foods.
• To provide recommendations for future research on HC technology.

Main Methods:

• Introduction to the principle of hydrodynamic cavitation.
• Evaluation of HC effects on physical properties (particle size, viscosity, temperature, stability).
• Assessment of HC impact on chemical properties (nutrient loss) and biological characteristics (microorganism inactivation).

Main Results:

• HC demonstrates unique effects on various liquid food properties.
• The extreme conditions generated by HC can enhance product quality and taste.
• HC is effective in microorganism inactivation and modifying physical and chemical attributes.

Conclusions:

• Hydrodynamic cavitation is a promising non-thermal technology for industrial liquid food processing.
• HC offers advantages over other emerging non-thermal methods due to its scalability.
• Further research is recommended to optimize HC applications in the food industry.