Hurdle technology: A review

Abstract

In industrialized as well as in developing countries, hurdle technology is used for the gentle but effective preservation of foods and was developed several years ago as a new concept for the production of safe, stable, nutritious, tasty, and economical foods. Previously hurdle technology, i.e., a combination of preservation methods viz physical, chemical and biological, was used empirically without much knowledge of the governing principles. The application of various preservation methods (hurdle technology) has become more prevalent now, because the principles of major preservative factors for foods (e.g., temperature, pH, aw, competitive flora), and their interactions, became better known. However, recently, the influence of food preservation methods on the physiology and behavior of micro-organisms in foods, i.e. their homeostasis, metabolic exhaustion, stress reactions, are taken into account, and the novel concept of multi-target food preservation emerged. The main objective of hurdle technology is food preservation, but in addition, many hurdles were reported to improve sensory attributes. Hurdles application in food depends on the nature and chemistry of the food, as well as the processing and storage conditions. Many findings revealed that combination of preservatives at lower concentrations discourage microbial activities more than single preservative at higher concentration.