HPP protects and defends foods by subjecting sealed products to incredibly high pressures – up to 6,000 bar or 87,000 psi. It’s an all-natural process that uses purified cold water to neutralize food-borne pathogens, like listeria and E. Coli, without preservatives or chemicals.
By applying pressure in all directions uniformly for about one to three minutes, HPP foods retain their shape. The lack of heat (thermal processing) means HPP products taste better and retain their nutrients, which ensures producers deliver the absolute tastiest food on the planet.
Sure, Avure’s HPP helps producers dish out tasty, homemade-tasting foods around the world, but it helps keep our planet green, too. By running on recirculated, pure cold water, it’s more energy-efficient than thermal processing. And on the retail side, refrigerated foods use less energy than frozen foods.
The short answer: mostly. Avure’s HPP equipment separates the shells off hundreds of lobsters in minutes and triples the shelf life of guacamole. But not all foods are suited for HPP, like bread, marshmallows or other dry solids with pockets of air that would cause the product to collapse under water pressure. And while HPP makes refrigerated soup last longer, it can’t do the same for low acid, shelf-stable versions. Rest assured, our food lab scientists are working on it.
Avure created the first commercial high pressure system back in 1950, paving the way for HPP in all major food categories. But the concept of high pressure for food preservation dates back to the late 1800s when Bert H. Hite studied the effects of pressure on food and microorganisms. We’re forever in his debt.
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and international food safety agencies recognize HPP food technology. It’s regulated like other food processing methods. And while it requires no special labeling, many of our brands like to proudly wave their HPP flags.
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) certifies each system. ASME inspectors put our HPP equipment through the ringer with rigorous testing, which includes boiler and pressure vessel certification.
To create the safest, longest-lasting equipment in the industry, Avure developed “leak-before-break” technology. This involves tightly winding hundreds of miles of high-tensile steel around pressure vessels and frames.