Good news! Universal Pure’s new podcast – the High Pressure Podcast – is published!
The High Pressure Podcast is the podcast where we talk about all things High Pressure Processing (HPP). You will hear from a range of players in the HPP and food safety industry, from brands who use HPP to academia and everyone in between. Our first episode is now available for streaming! You can listen to the podcast here, or read the transcript provided. Enjoy!
High Pressure Podcast – Episode 1: Intro to Universal Pure and High Pressure Processing (HPP)
Transcript:
Jenny:
Welcome to the High Pressure Podcast, where we talk about all things High Pressure Processing.
I’m your host, Jenny Tuggle, Marketing Manager at Universal Pure.
On today’s episode, we are joined by some of our leadership team to talk about what’s going on in the HPP industry and at Universal Pure. Let’s start with some introductions.
Jeff W:
Hi, I’m Jeff Williams, the CEO of Universal Pure. I’ve been here five years now and spent the past 35 years in the food and beverage industry. Jeff Barnard, I’ll turn it over to Jeff Barnard.
Jeff B:
Hi, I’m Jeff Barnard, President of Universal Pure. On April 4th this year, I will celebrate 20 years with Universal. I’ve spent the last 40 years in the food industry, primarily in the protein segment.
Jenny:
Well, congratulations on 20 years. It’s great to have you both join us today. To avoid confusion, I’ll refer to Jeff Williams as Jeff W. and Jeff Barnard as Jeff B. So, Jeff B. I’ll let you start by giving us an overview of Universal Pure.
Jeff B:
Sure, thank you. Our company started doing business in Lincoln, Nebraska back in 2001 as “Universal Cold Storage.” And back then we were preserving foods’ shelf life by storing products in freezers for long periods of time. So, think whole turkeys, hams, beef, chicken, etc. Companies would send it to us and leave it in the freezer so they could thaw it out at a different time to preserve the product. Back then, our offering was simply “cold air,” and we were really no different than the other cold storage companies that are in our industry.
Quickly, we realized to be different than our competition, we needed to create services that add value for our customers. We reached out to all of our customer base and found there were services that we could offer them that would help them and at the same time, differentiate Universal from the rest of the cold storage industry. We started doing some air tempering and water tempering, and code-dating, pre-pricing, some re-boxing, and services that are along those lines. And most all of those value-added services that we offer originated from a customer just asking us the question, would Universal be interested in doing whatever service that was.
So fast forward to October of 2009, we had a local company here in Lincoln, Nebraska ask us if we would consider adding HPP – High Pressure Processing – to our service offerings.
Jenny:
And just so everyone’s on the same page, Jeff W., could you tell us what exactly is HPP?
Jeff W:
So, HPP, or High Pressure Processing, is a non-thermal method of improving food safety, extending shelf-life and enabling clean label products without all the chemicals and preservatives. Pre-packaged food or beverages are placed in the machines, surrounded by completely pure water and then pressure is raised up to 87,000 PSI. The products remain at this high pressure for typically between 1-3 minutes. The products are then removed from the machine, dried, and typically packaged for shipping on to distribution centers.
HPP commonly inactivates Listeria, E Coli, and Salmonella, providing safer products for consumers and their families. Additionally, HPP extends shelf life 3-4 times versus alternate non-thermal processes. This enables national distribution of products and allows brands to remove some of the preservatives, chemicals and salt used without HPP. These cleaner labels are becoming more and more important as consumers shift their demands.
Jenny:
And about how long has HPP been around, and is it only being used in North America, or globally?
Jeff W:
HPP technology has existed for over 70 years, but did not become prominent in the food industry until the last 20-25 years. Stronger adoption began 20 years ago in North America and has grown steadily in the past two decades. While North America is the largest user of HPP technology, Europe is the 2nd largest market, and the growth in Asia is accelerating for HPP currently.
Jenny:
Jeff B., what are some of the most common product applications that work well with HPP, and why?
Jeff B:
So, HPP is being utilized across many food channels, both human and pet. deli meats, guacamole, salads, dips, hummus, fresh juices, some egg products, and then pet foods as well. In each of the segments, they utilize HPP for different reasons but they all center around offering a “fresh” product in their respective markets. They may use the HPP for extended shelf-life, a clean-labeled ingredient, or as a lethality step, in which they end up offering a fresh product that is not cooked.
Jenny:
Thanks, Jeff. Jeff W., can you tell us about anything exciting happening at Universal Pure, or what is new in the HPP industry, maybe some developing product application trends?
Jeff W:
Sure, Jenny. At Universal, we’re always growing. Our recent expansions in California and Texas have been very, very strong. We’re excited moving forward for continued expansion of our existing plants as well as additional geographies to expand our reach, and adding new service lines to support our customer needs. With respect to applications, we typically see annual growth in most categories, but right now pet food is really the fastest growing space that we see.
Jenny:
Speaking of HPP pet food, that’s one thing you can always find in my refrigerator for my Australian Shepherd. Could you tell us what HPP products we could find in your fridge, or maybe what some of your favorite HPP products are, Jeff B.?
Jeff B:
Yeah, without a doubt, I love fresh juices, so I have several fresh juice shots in my refrigerator and, second only to guacamole – I love what HPP does with fresh guacamole.
Jenny:
What about you, Jeff W.?
Jeff W:
Like Jeff B., I’m huge fan of the salsas, the various dips and guacamole using the HPP technology, so those are a staple in our fridge. We always have proteins – especially with sliced meats in our fridge – a lot of ham and turkey. Like Jeff B., on the drink side, we typically will have some juice that’s been High Pressure Processed, and like you Jenny, we always have an ample supply of pet food for our King Charles Cavalier.
Jenny:
Well, talking about all this HPP food is making me hungry… hungry for more High Pressure Podcast, that is!
Thank you both for joining us today to kick-off our podcast! We look forward to our next episode where we will hear from our friends at Hiperbaric and some of their new research on up and coming HPP applications, like cold brew coffee and raw pet food. Stay tuned for more details and we’ll see you next time.
