Pressurized Liquid Extraction (PLE)

Abstract

 Pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) is regarded as an emergent extraction technique; it is an appropriate tool to obtain green extracts from foods or related samples. Studies on the content of contaminants in foods or food raw materials can be carried out by PLE. In the same way, studies on the obtention of bioactive extracts from classic and emerging foods and their by-products can be carried out by PLE too. Besides sequential process combinations of PLE with other innovative extraction techniques could generate benefits for the food industry. The objective of this chapter is to clearly define the role that this technique plays in food analysis, as well as the updated spectrum of some of its applications during the last lustrum.