High-Pressure Destruction Kinetics of E. coli(29055) in Apple Juice

High‐pressure (HP) destruction of Escherichia coli (29055) in apple juice was evaluated (150 to 400 MPa; 0 to 80 min at 25 °C) based on a dual destruction behavior consisting of pressure pulse and pressure hold (first order rate) effects. Enumeration was carried out in brain‐heart infusion agar (BHIA) and violet‐red bile agar (VRBA) to differentiate between surviving cells with and without injury. A pressure pulse at 400 MPa destroyed the entire population (10⁸ CFU/mL) of E. coli. During pressure‐hold, D values (decimal reduction time) of E. coli decreased with an increase in pressure, and D values from BHIA (survivors including injured cells) were higher than from VRBA (survivors excluding injured cells). Thus, an increasing number of cells were initially injured than killed with HP treatment until finally killed. Pressure dependency of D was described by z‐value model with associated z_p values (pressure range to result in a decimal change in D values) of 126 and 140 MPa on BHIA and VRBA.