January/February 2025 - 7

HIGH-PRESSURE PROCESSING
H
igh-pressure processing is nothing new
for the juice and beverage industry. But
the focus of the long-trusted technology
is evolving.
Fruit going through HHP these days has as
good a chance of ending up in a dense, nutritionpacked
beverage bomb such as a health shot as in
a bottle of OJ.
" One of the areas that we are looking at that is
starting to get more and more common is what
we call targeted nutrition, " Errol Raghubeer,
senior vice president of technology at machine
industry company JBT Avure, told Produce
Processing. " HPP does not affect nutrient
compounds in foods. What we've seen companies
doing is concentrating those nutrients to target
certain population groups, like people with
immuno-compromised diseases, to help them
boost their immunity. "
The global functional drinks market increased
by 10% from 2015 to 2020, according to a study
by market research firm IMARC Group, with
continued growth forecast for the following five
years. Market intelligence agency Mintel identified
a theme of interest in " food as medicine " in 2025,
with functional beverages reaching a total of 1,975
market placements worldwide.
Health or wellness shots, which gained
popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic,
are small juice drinks with a blend of extracts,
herbs and spices in a variety of flavors such as
pineapple and orange. Manufacturers claim the
diminutive drinks can boost energy and immune
systems and help fight aging, with ingredients
such as ginger to ease nausea and bloating,
turmeric to reduce inflammation and apple cider
vinegar to help manage blood sugar levels.
" They are more concentrated in the nutrients
that they have, instead of just apple juice or
orange juice inside of it, " Raghubeer said.
PRESERVING THE GOOD STUFF
Preserving nutrients is a key component of highpressure
processing, a technique that immerses fresh
products in a cold-water bath and applies uniform
pressure of 87,000 pounds per square inch - equal
to six times that found at the deepest part of the
ocean. The process is effective at killing food-borne
pathogens with the added benefit of preserving the
nutritional value, appearance and taste of food -
attributes that heat can adversely affect.
An early adapter of the technology in the fruit and
vegetable industry was the avocado, which boasts
a high water content and a solid composition that
can hold its structure during the pressurization
process. HPP, also used for products including
hummus, is not as suited for fruits with air pockets
that make them more susceptible to collapse, such as
strawberries or raspberries.
Nonetheless, Keenan Drenning, director of
HPP - Americas for high-pressure technology
company Quintas, believes there's room for more
fruit in the HPP universe.
" I'd like to see more fresh produce in terms of fruits,
specifically, packed in their own juices, " Drenning
said. " It reduces the need for syrups or any kind of
chemical additives so that you can have basically fresh
fruits that have weeks worth of shelf life. "
More widespread adaptation of HPP for fruits may
be slowed by several factors, Drenning said.
" It's maybe a combination of just the way that
we've done it: People are more comfortable buying a
fresh pineapple and cutting it up themselves, " he said.
" Or the turnover of that product is fast enough that
they don't feel that they need the extended shelf life
in the refrigerated sections. "
Like Raghubeer, Drenning is seeing an increased
interest in nutritional-focused markets, especially in
the U.S.
" There's increasing awareness of health foods
and just trying to eliminate chemicals in our food,
" There's a tremendous benefit to manufacturers to use HPP
for food safety, and for the consumer, you're getting products
without the chemicals inside. "
- ERROL RAGHUBEER, JBT AVURE
PRODUCE PROCESS ING
7
January/February 2025

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of January/February 2025
