Journal of Life Sciences 11 (2017) 125-132 doi: 10.17265/1934-7391/2017.03.002 Effects of High-Pressure Technology on the Functional Properties of Milk and Fermented Milk Products Tulay OZCAN 1 , Arzu AKPINAR BAYIZIT 1 , Lutfiye YILMAZ-ERSAN 1 and Pinar AYDINOL 2 1. Department of Food Engineering, Uludag University, Gorukle 16059, Bursa/Turkey 2. Department of Food Technology, Mustafakemalpasa Vocational School, Uludag University, Mustafakemalpasa 16500, Bursa/Turkey Abstract: HPP (high pressure processing) is one of the novel technologies to produce microbiologically safe food. HPP is a non-thermal food processing method, wherein the food is subjected to a very high pressure ranging between 100-800 MPa in order to prevent undesirable chemical and microbiological reactions, and hence, prolong the shelf-life. HPP is also called as “high hydrostatic processing, ultra-high pressure processing or isostatic processing”. In dairy products, HHP has the potential to modify the functional properties of proteins, polysaccharides and alter biochemical reactions without significantly affecting the nutritional and sensory properties. HPP treatment induces significant changes in milk components particularly in proteins (whey proteins and caseins), as well as on their applicability in innovative dairy productions. HPP influences technological properties of various milk products such as firmness, water-holding capacity of the gel and network structure, cheese yield, rennet coagulation time and ripening. Key words: High pressure technology, dairy foods, functional properties. 1. Introduction Alongside the development and increased consumption of minimally processed foods due to health consciousness, various preservation technologies have been emerged. Within this group of processes “non-thermal or cold or alternative Currently consumers worldwide are more demanding with regard to the quality and safety of the foods they consume, especially those that produce the perception of healthy products. To meet these demands, the food industry has improved its conventional heat preservation processes by developing continuous HTST (high temperature/short time), UHT (ultra high temperature) treatments and aseptic packaging systems. These products maintain a high standard of nutrition and flavor, while meeting the required safety level and achieving a long shelf life [1]. Corresponding author: Tulay Ozcan, Ph.D., Assoc. Prof., research fields: dairy processing, dairy products biochemistry and reology. preservation methods”, which do not rely on heat for microbial and enzyme inactivation, will keep foods safe to eat, retain the sensory attributes and nutrient content to raw or fresh products. These non-thermal technologies include HHP (high hydrostatic pressure), OMF (oscillatory magnetic fields), PEF (pulsed electric fields), US (ultrasound), different forms of ionizing radiation (gamma, electron beam), gases (ozone, cold plasma, chlorine dioxide), light (ultraviolet, pulsed light) and chemical (chlorine, surfactants) sanitizers. Heat could be generated by some of these processes; however, the temperature increase will never reach the levels of a conventional thermal process and could be controlled with the help of a cooling station [2-5]. 2. Operational Technology and Mechanism of High Hydrostatic Pressure Probably the most developed and widely implanted technology at the industrial level is high hydrostatic pressure, in which food is subjected to pressures as high as 6,000 times the atmospheric pressure within D DAVID PUBLISHING