In this video, we're going to talk about high pressure processing as a physical method for controlling microbial growth. High pressure processing is commonly abbreviated as HPP. High pressure processing, or HPP, as its name implies, uses really high pressures, somewhere around 120,000 pounds per square inch, or PSI, which is a unit of pressure. It uses these high pressures to destroy microbes and control microbial growth. High pressure processing is able to kill microbes by altering the molecular structure of proteins. It can also be used to disinfect specific products while still preserving features like flavors, colors, and nutrient values as well. That's a benefit of using HPP.
It is important to note that some microbes, specifically endospores that are capable of tolerating high pressures, can survive high pressure processing. High pressure processing does not always kill; it does not always sterilize a particular product. If we take a look at our image down below, we can get a better understanding of a device that creates immense amounts of pressure. You can put your item to be treated inside the instrument, and it will create extreme amounts of pressure. Again, that pressure can ultimately alter the molecular structure of proteins, which kills microbes. However, since some microbes can tolerate high pressures, it does not always kill all microbes and hence not always sterilize.
This concludes our brief lesson on high pressure processing as a physical method for controlling microbial growth. We'll be able to get some practice applying these concepts as we move forward. I'll see you all in our next video.