Abstract
This chapter discusses the application of dense phase CO (DPCD) technology as an alternative to thermal food preservation. This technology has been applied mostly to liquid foods; however, applications for solid foods exist, and research in this area is accelerating. This chapter first reviews the principles of the DPCD process, its advantages, its modes of application, and the theories about its mechanisms of microbial inactivation. Then, the efficacy of DPCD treatment in preservation of various liquid and solid foods and its effects on their quality are discussed.