Comprehensive Bibliometric Analysis on High Hydrostatic Pressure as New Sustainable Technology for Food Processing: Key Concepts and Research Trends

The industrial application of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) can be traced back to the late 19th century in the fields of mechanical and chemical engineering. Its growth as a food preservation technique has developed and massified in certain countries in the last 30 years. However, there is no global overview of the research conducted on this topic. The aim of this study was to recognize global trends in the scientific population on the subject of HHP over time at the main levels of analysis: sources, authors, and publications. This article provides a summary of research related to the use of HHP through a bibliometric analysis using information obtained from the Web of Science (WoS) database between the years 1975–2023, using the terms “pascalization”,“high-pressure processing”, and “high hydrostatic pressure” as input keywords. The results are shown in tables, graphs, and relationship diagrams. The countries most influential and productive in high hydrostatic pressure are the People’s R China, the USA, and Spain, with 1578, 1340, and 1003 articles, respectively. Conversely, the authors with the highest metrics are Saraiva, J. (Universidade Aveiro-Portugal), Hendrickx, M. (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven-Belgium), and Wang, T. (China Agricultural University-China). The most productive journals are Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies, Food Chemistry, and LWT-Food Science and Technology, all belonging to Elsevier, with 457, 281, and 264 documents, respectively. In relation to the connection between the documents under study and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), most documents in the period 1975–2023 are linked to SDG 03 (good health and well-being), followed by SDG 02 (zero hunger), and SDG 07 (affordable and clean energy). Finally, the information presented in this work may give valuable key insights for those interested in the development of this interesting topic in non-thermal food preservation. Additionally, it serves as a strategic resource for stakeholders, such as food industry leaders, policymakers, and research funding bodies, by providing a clear understanding of the current state of knowledge and innovation trends. This enables informed decision-making regarding research priorities, investment opportunities, and the development of regulatory frameworks to support the adoption and advancement of non-thermal preservation technologies, ultimately contributing to safer and more sustainable food systems.