What is High Pressure Processing (HPP) & how does it work?

High-Pressure Processing (HPP) is a food safety technology that uses pressurized cold water chambers to inactivate harmful microorganisms. It is a well-established method used throughout the human and pet foods industries to reduce pathogens while preserving the food’s original / raw characteristics. Foods that are commonly HPP-ed and are probably in your fridge include fruit juices (often labeled as cold-pressed), dips & spreads (guacamole, hummus), deli meat (turkey, ham, roast beef), and other ready-to-eat meals (soups or other packaged foods). 

During HPP, sealed food is placed into a large barrel-like basket and loaded into a pressure chamber. The chamber then fills with water and pressure is applied for a few minutes to inactivate bacterial cells. We process our recipes at 600 MPa (87,000 PSI) for 3-4 minutes. Afterwards, packages are dried off and sent to the freezer.

This video demonstrates what the process looks like!