We call it High Pressure Processing (HPP), but you might know it as High Pressure Pascalization, High Pressure Pasteurization,
Cold Pasteurization, Cold Pressure Technology, High Pressure Technology, or even High Hydrostatic Pressure Processing.
As Shakespeare’s Juliet says, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”
It’s true, there are many names for HPP, but the fact is no matter what you call it, it’s an amazing technology that you need to know more about. What is there to love about HPP, you ask?
HPP is an all-natural, non-thermal food safety and preservation method that uses only filtered water and extreme pressure (think bottom of the ocean – up to 87,000psi) to destroy and inactivate harmful foodborne bacteria and spoilage organisms. Already in their final sealed packaging, food and beverage products are loaded into HPP baskets, conveyed into the HPP vessel, and subjected to pressure for a specific amount of time, depending on the HPP product recipe.
While the name uses the word “processing,” products that undergo HPP are not “processed food” at all. In fact, the opposite is quite true – HPP is perfect for natural, clean-label, minimally processed food and beverage items. A continually growing list of product applications that work well with HPP includes proteins (ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat meat and poultry), beverages (juices, smoothies, teas, cold brews), dips and wet salads (salsa, guacamole, chicken salad, dressings), pet food (raw and freeze-dried), seafood (oysters, mussels, lobsters, crab, shrimp, cod), and other emerging categories (baby food, meal kits, soups, smoothie bowls).
In addition to its food safety and brand protection properties, High Pressure Processing (cold pasteurization, pascalization, etc.) enables many other valuable benefits for food and beverage manufacturers, retails, and consumers. Because HPP preserves products naturally, there is no need for added preservatives and sodium. Thus, extended shelf-life is attainable without the use of harsh chemical additives and other ingredients. Longer shelf-life means less waste, and less waste means better sustainability and increased profits.
So, no matter what name you call it, HPP is definitely sweet.
Want to learn more?
Join us April 29 – May 1 in Atlanta for the 2020 Cold Pressure Council Conference to hear from HPP industry experts.
