The Effect of High Pressure Processing on the Integrity of Polymeric Packaging – Analysis and Categorization of Occurring Defects

As high‐pressure processing is used increasingly for the treatment of packed products, different packaging has been investigated with respect to their structural behaviour and stability under high‐pressure processing. Often, failures and changes of the polymeric structure occur. Common damage symptoms of high‐pressure‐treated packaging materials are defined and classified in this review. These damage symptoms are allocated to the physico‐chemical effects that created them. The effects may be separated into direct effects induced by the action of the high‐pressure alone and indirect effects that are mediated via compressed contents of the package, i.e. filled product and gaseous headspace. The direct effects split up again in reversible and irreversible structural changes. The indirect effects are generated by compressed headspace gases, other compressed substances and the consequences of increased amounts of gases dissolved in the polymers. If applicable, current theoretical approaches have been allocated to the different categories of damage. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.