The use of CO2 under pressure (dense CO2) is one of the most promising techniques to achieve cold pasteurization and/or sterilization of liquid and solid ma- terials, and is likely to replace or partially substitute currently and widely applied thermal processes. Although the ability of CO2 to inactivate microorganisms has been known since the 1950s, only within the last 15 years it has received special attention, and the scientific and economic interest towards practical applications is presently growing more and more.
