Technological aspects and potential applications of (ultra) high-pressure homogenisation

The present review concerns homogenisation processing, and more particularly high-pressure homogenisation. Recent developments in high-pressure technology and the design of new homogenisation valves able to withstand pressures up to 350–400 MPa have indeed opened new opportunities to homogenisation processing in the dairy, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Homogenisers equipped with high-pressure valves or interaction chambers of different designs, and consequently different flow characteristics (laminar or turbulent flow, cavitation, impingement on solid walls, fluid jet collision) are available. The present review will more particularly concern piston-gap type high-pressure homogenisers equipped with specially designed HP-valves able to reach 300–400 MPa for ultra-high-pressure homogenisation (UHPH). An overview of some recent UHPH studies will be summarised in the following sections including UHPH-induced microbial inactivation, characteristics of submicron emulsions and UHPH-induced protein structural changes and functionality.