Hyperbaric storage at room temperature was evaluated as a new food preservation method. To
13 do that, strawberry juices maintained at different pressure levels (0.1, 25, 100 or 220 MPa) and
14 20 ºC for 15 days were compared to raw and thermally pasteurized samples stored at
15 atmospheric pressure and 5 ºC for the same period. Hyperbaric storage reduced the initial
16 microbial load of the juices by more than 2 log units to levels below the limit of detection.
17 Moreover, pressure was effective to attenuate viscosity and color losses in the samples stored
18 at 20 ºC. Stability of the samples after the hyperbaric storage was good and microbial load,
19 viscosity and color remained stable when the samples were kept under refrigeration at
20 atmospheric pressure for 15 additional days. All these results show that hyperbaric storage
21 could represent an interesting technology for short-term preservation of food.