High pressure processing (HPP): what it is and when it pays

How it works

Sealed packages go into a vessel of water and are pressed at about 400 to 600 MPa, or 58,000 to 87,000 psi, at chilled or mild temperatures under 45°C. The usual packages are high-barrier flexible pouches and plastic containers¹.

What it does and does not do

Because the product is not cooked, it keeps a fresh flavor. Bacterial spores can be difficult to inactivate with high pressure, so HPP products are sold refrigerated¹. USDA FSIS recognizes high pressure processing as an acceptable food safety intervention¹.

For juice, FDA's juice HACCP rule calls for control measures that achieve at least a 5-log reduction of the pathogen of concern, and a validated HPP step can count toward it².

A heat process such as hot fill makes a shelf-stable product but cooks it³. HPP trades that shelf stability for flavor, so the first question is whether you can sell refrigerated.

What it costs, and when it pays

Commercial HPP systems cost about $500,000 to $2.5 million, and HPP treatment costs have been quoted at 4 to 10 cents per pound¹. At those prices a small brand pays per pound at a plant or a tolling facility rather than buying a machine. As arithmetic on that range, treating 10,000 one-pound bottles would cost about $400 to $1,000.

Ask each plant whether it runs HPP in its own building or sends product to a tolling partner. The list below shows what each plant in this directory states.

High pressure processing in this directory

7 of the 245 plants in this directory state high pressure processing: 6 in their own building and 1 through a tolling partner.

Sources

1. IFT Food Technology, Preserving Foods through High-Pressure Processing (Standards body)
2. FDA, Juice HACCP Hazards and Controls Guidance (Government; read through a search summary, the page itself was not opened in full)
3. Graham Packaging, Product Fill Types (Company; read through a search summary, the page itself was not opened in full)