The influence of the CO2-extraction process on the microbial contamination of vegetable raw material

Abstract

The supercritical CO2 extraction method allows both to obtain a product without solvent residues as well as one microbiologically safe. It was analyzed various vegetable raw materials: walnut kernel meal, tomato wastes, grape seeds, pumpkin seeds and wheat germ. It was found that the CO2-extraction process has a positive influence on the degree of microbial contamination of raw materials. Due to the high pressure (up to 40MPa), the number of aerobic and facultative anaerobic microorganisms as well as yeast and mold units decreases about ten times in the meal comparing to the raw material. Also, it was found that the CO2- extraction process destroys the coliform bacteria.