Impact of blanching and high hydrostatic pressure combined treatments on the physico-chemical and microbiological properties and bioactive-compound profile of an industrial strawberry smoothie

In recent years, fruit-based smoothies have gained popularity worldwide and are currently a major segment of the global soft-drink market. This study compared industrial-scale treatments of strawberry smoothies: combined blanching and High-Pressure Processing (HPP), thermal pasteurization (TP), and untreated (NT). Analyses included physicochemical parameters (pH, °Brix, color, viscosity), microbiological safety, and bioactive compounds (phenolics, vitamin C, antioxidants). HPP at 600 MPa for 3 min at 4°C increased viscosity and phenolic compounds (particularly p-coumaroyl hexose) of samples related to TP and untreated samples (26.8 and 17.6%, respectively) and maintained colour stability compared to untreated samples. Anthocyanidins retention was better in HPP-than in TP- treated samples. Vitamin C content increased significantly by 15% in HPP-treated samples, contributing to enhanced antioxidant potential (12%), as shown by the minimal microbiological load observed, in comparison with untreated samples. These findings suggest that HPP is an effective alternative to TP for improving the overall quality of strawberry smoothies.