Meat+Poultry - July 2017 - 66

FOOD SAFETY

Lunch meat

SHELF LIFE
in days
Source: Avure

80

60

40

20

HPP Other

The newly-formed Cold Pressure Council,
made up of HPP equipment makers and food
processors, includes Hiperbaric and Avure
Technologies, the two largest HPP equipment
manufacturers; American Pasteurization Co.;
West Liberty Foods; Universal Pasteurization;
Suja; Campbell's; Evolution Fresh; and Good
Foods Group.
"One of the high priorities for this council
will be establishing best practices for HPP,
which will make sure that food safety is most
important, as well as extending shelf life for
products, which is a major priority for this
processing technology," says Lisa Pitzer, chief
marketing officer for Avure Technologies in
Erlanger, Kentucky, one of two major HPP
equipment makers.
The other major step being taken by the
industry now is establishing a logo or seal
called "Cold Pressure Verified" that will appear
on food packaging that's been high-pressure
processed. "The purpose of the label will be
to identify foods processed through HPP and
assure consumers that it has been processed
this away, according to standards set by the
council," explains Jaime Nicolas-Correa, USA
Director for Hiperbaric, in Miami, Florida,
the other large HPP equipment manufacturer.
"The label on HP-processed products will
give peace of mind to consumers that the
products they are buying have gone through
this process, following processing rules and
guidelines set by the Council. It's a way to
educate consumers and help them recognize
HPP products on the shelf."

SAFETY STANDARDS

66

MEAT+ POULTRY | 07.17 | www.meatpoultry.com

"The purpose of the [Cold
Pressure Verified] label
will be to identify foods
processed through HPP."
- JAIME NICOLAS-CORREA

Because of its success, HP-processing is
being expanded to other products, including
pet food, baby food, soups and ready-to-eat
meals, Nicolas-Correa says. "And foodservice
is a big and growing market for HPP," he
points out.
In the meat and poultry industry, highpressure processing draws praise because of
its great success in eliminating an extremely
dangerous pathogen, Listeria monocytogenes,
which can cause listeriosis, a disease that can
lead to death.
Kevin Myers, senior vice president
for research and development at Hormel,
in Austin, Minnesota, says his company
uses high-pressure processing to achieve
food safety in products that are handled
a great deal in processing, and are sliced.
Lunch meats and many other products fit
this bill, and much HPP is concentrated
in foodservice, with products going
to restaurants and other institutional
destinations, rather than retail. "Our Bread
Ready Brand sliced meats going to our
foodservice, is an example of that," he says.

Olga Nayashkova/Shutterstock.com

HPP has a positive safety record, so the
decision to form an industry council was not
sparked by any safety problems, Pitzer notes.
"There have been validation studies done to set
safety standards for high-pressure processing.
The council is a way to make sure that
everyone - equipment makers, tollers and food
processors who use HPP - will be following
these very strict standards," she points out.
She notes the HPP industry is growing
very rapidly - about 15 percent a year. She
explains several reasons for the growth. "HPP
is a way of pasteurizing food products, without
the heat. And beyond food safety, the major
benefit is that the process extends the shelf life
of foods greatly. This is something that's very

important, both to food manufacturers and
consumers," Pitzer says. Because of the growth
in the industry, more tolling facilities are being
set up to help smaller meat, poultry and other
food processors do HPP, she notes.
A great benefit is that HPP results in the
manufacture of completely clean label food
products - not only with much longer shelf
life, but without preservatives. "Consumers
have become more and more concerned about
preservatives in food - they don't want to
consume food loaded with preservatives - and
HPP keeps them out," Pitzer explains.
She notes that younger consumers -
millennials - have a great interest in what's
in their food, as well as what's not in it.
"Consumers want to know the ingredients in
the food products they eat. But today, they
want to know even more than just what's in
their food."
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