RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Use of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) with reduced processing times is gaining traction in the food industry as an alternative to conventional thermal treatment. In order to enhance functional benefits while minimizing processing losses, functionalized products are being developed with such novel techniques. In this study, changes in quality parameters for HHP treated enriched tomato sauce were evaluated, with the aim to assess its viability as an alternative to conventional thermal treatment methods. RESULTS: HHP treatments at 500 MPa, 30 °C/50 °C significantly increased the total phenolic and lycopene content of the sauce samples, achieving 6.7% and 7.5% improvements over conventionally treated samples. The antioxidant capacity of the HHP-treated samples was also found to match or be better than conventionally treated samples. Furthermore, a T2 relaxation time study revealed that pressure-temperature processing treatments were effective in maintaining the structural integrity of water molecules. Microbiological analyses revealed that 500 MPa/50 °C 5 min treatment can offer 8 logs reduction colony formation, matching the results of conventional thermal treatment. CONCLUSION: Combined pressure-temperature treatments improve results, reduce time consumption. 500 MPa/50 °C treatments provided retention of quality parameters and significant reduction in microbial activity. © 2024 The Author(s). Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.