Supercritical carbon dioxide technology in food processing: Insightful comprehension of the mechanisms of microbial inactivation and impacts on quality and safety aspects

Abstract Supercritical carbon dioxide (SC‐CO 2 ) has emerged as a nonthermal technology to guarantee food safety. This review addresses the potential of SC‐CO 2 technology in food preservation, discussing the microbial inactivation mechanisms and the impact on food products’ quality parameters and bioactive compounds. Furthermore, the main advantages and gaps are denoted. SC‐CO 2 technology application causes adequate microbial reductions (>5 log cfu/mL) of spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms, enzyme inactivation, and improvements in the storage stability in fruit and vegetable products (mainly fruit juices), meat products, and dairy derivatives. SC‐CO 2 ‐treated products maintain the physicochemical, technological, and sensory properties, bioactive compound concentrations, and biological activity (antioxidant and angiotensin‐converting enzyme–inhibitory activities) similar to the untreated products. The optimization of processing parameters (temperature, pressure, CO 2 volume, and processing times) is mandatory for achieving the desired results. Further studies should consider the expansion to different food matrices, shelf‐life evaluation, bioaccessibility of bioactive compounds, and in vitro and in vivo studies to prove the benefits of using SC‐CO 2 technology. Moreover, the impact on sensory characteristics and, mainly, the consumer perception of SC‐CO 2 ‐treated foods need to be elucidated. We highlight the opportunity for studies in postbiotic production. In conclusion, SC‐CO 2 technology may be used for microbial inactivation to ensure food safety without losing the quality parameters.