ABSTRACT
The majority of food preservation techniques are modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), vacuum packaging and addition of chemical preservatives, act by inhibiting the activity of microorganisms to varying degrees. The microorganisms present cannot overcome the hurdles and so the product is microbiologically stable and safe. The majority of MAP products are stored under refrigerated conditions and so temperature is usually included as the primary hurdle. Sous vide products possess the additional hurdle of a mild heat treatment which inactivates the majority of vegetative microorganisms but may permit the survival of spore-forming organisms. The commercial potential of each of the hurdles has yet to be fully evaluated as there have been few practical applications to date. Consequently, considerable research is still required on the application of hurdle technology to particular MAP and sous vide products.
