Effectiveness of high pressure processing on the hygienic and technological quality of porcine plasma from biopreserved blood

The effects of a high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatment (450 MPa, 15 min at 20 °C) on both the microbiological quality and the functional properties of plasma from biopreserved porcine blood were evaluated. Blood was inoculated with Enterococcus raffinosus-PS99 (107 ufc mL−1) and stored at 5 °C. After 72-h storage, bacterial counts in inoculated samples decreased by 52, 70, 81 and more than 99% for coliforms, Pseudomonas spp, hemolytic and proteolytic bacteria, respectively. Counts of these bacterial groups were undetectable in the final product after pressurization, whereas total lactic acid bacteria were detected at levels up to 102 ufc mL−1. Gelling, foaming and emulsifying properties of the plasma proteins were not noticeably affected by HHP. The results show that it is possible to obtain high-quality and microbiologically stable blood derivatives as functional ingredients, by combining biopreservation and HHP.