Current status of emerging food processing technologies in Latin America: Novel non-thermal processing

Non-thermal emerging technologies in the sector of food processing have often been cited by researchers as an alternative to conventionally heat treatments for food processing in order to develop safe foods with minimal damage to nutritional and sensory properties. Non-thermal emerging technologies for foods processing have been widely developed in Europe and U.S.A. However, the interest in these technologies and commercialisation opportunities started catching up in Latin America. Thus, this review describes the basic principles and main effect of this technologies in the food and the recent scientific reports on its applications and potential advantages of the so-called non-thermal emerging technologies like ultrasound, high hydrostatic pressure, pulsed electric field, ionising radiation and atmospheric cold plasma, as alternative food preservation process. This review focuses on the current status in Latin America of novel non-thermal food processing technologies, highlighting the limits for scaling up to industrial level in order to be commercially successful. •Development of emerging non-thermal technologies for food processing in Latin America•Constraints for scaling up to industrial level in order to be commercially successful are discussed.•Emerging technologies maintaining sensorial properties and nutritional value in foodstuffs•Consumer's better understanding of emerging technologies could increase their demand.