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High hydrostatic pressure processing, as a non-thermal process, is used for inactivation of microorganisms with minimum conversion of the food itself. An equivalent standard of food safety is achieved as for heat pasteurisation and meet consumer requirements for fresh and minimum processed products with shorter processing time unlike conventional techniques. In recent studies, high pressure is considered to be responsible for changes in cell structure and biopolymers in processed foodstuffs, resulting in better water bindings, gelling processes and the emergence of new textures and products. This paper presents the use of high hydrostatic pressure in the processing of red meat and meat products, fruits and vegetables and the influence on microorganisms in food. Besides pasteurisation, process is also used for the extraction of bioactive compounds, with significantly higher yields and quality compared to conventional extraction methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]