What is high pressure processing?

As a science based technology, HPP is not only fully recognized by global regulatory bodies as an antimicrobial process with superior capabilities for inactivating many food pathogens of concern, but also for slowing down the growth of spoilage bacteria, thereby extending refrigerated shelf life between 2-10 times longer than unprocessed foods.  Both these benefits alone can have a significant impact on the global challenges of food safety and food waste.

Most conventional food processing methods such as heat and/or chemicals have negative effects on health and nutrition. Consumers are demanding high nutritional values in foods, particularly those present in fresh, raw, or minimally processed varieties. HPP does not affect nutritional components in foods largely because it has no effects on covalent bonds so HPP products maintain their vitamins and bioactive compounds.

Manufacturers using HPP eliminate chemical preservatives used to control microbial growth and reduce the frequency of food safety testing, thus satisfying the demand from customers for preservative-free foods, while reducing operational costs, hence delivering higher company values.

HPP has thus become the process of choice among non-thermal food processing technologies. The assurance of inactivating foodborne pathogens, post packaging, provides food and beverage manufacturers the business-critical food safety confidence for protecting their consumers, as well as ensuring that their brands and company reputations remain untarnished.

HPP works by placing packaged foods and beverages in a wire wound vessel, filling that vessel with pure water, then pressurizing the water and contents using specially designed intensifier pumps to reach as high as 87,000 psi (6,000 bars).

This pressure is distributed omnidirectionally allowing for uniform and instant affect throughout the product, regardless of product size, volume, or packaging material. Thus, a 10-gram package will be subject to the same pressure benefits as a 50-kilogram package – which is unlike thermal treatment or other intervention methods.

Water and foods will compress about 15% of their volume at 87,000 psi. Therefore, containers must be flexible enough to be compressed by at least that amount. All flexible plastic materials that are hermetically sealed are compatible with HPP. However, certain specifications of the materials such as oxygen and moisture barrier properties are critical for shelf-life extension.

HPP is commercially used in wide range of foods and beverages such as ready-to-eat deli meats, fruit and dairy based drinks, baby foods, dairy products, pet food, ready meals, ready-to-cook marinated meats and meals, seafood, and wide variety of plant-based products including guacamole, hummus, salsa, ready-to-eat salads, tofu and plant-based protein meat analogues.

Most food and beverages are applicable for HPP technology. However, certain intrinsic and extrinsic factors are important in determining HPP conditions and satisfying regulatory rules and guidelines.  Our newest Quintus HPP Application Centers are fully equipped to assist companies in the optimization of product formulas for HPP, providing guidance on packaging materials, conducting pathogen validation and shelf-life studies, and assisting in HACCP development and regulatory compliance.

Quintus Technologies offers different financing solutions making it easier to invest in an HPP system.

• Leasing Arrangements
• Buybacks of Used Systems
• Capacity Upgrade Solutions

Please contact the Quintus Team to schedule a visit.