Safe Pac™ High Pressure Pasteurization Increases Pre-Packaged RTE Product Shelf Life 200-300% Without Preservatives

18 Oct 2010

High pressure, chemical-free low heat process eliminates food-borne pathogens such as E. Coli, Listeria and Salmonella

The Safe Pac™ Corporation now offers USDA and FDA-approved High Pressure Pasteurization (HPP) to packers, food processors and manufacturers on a contract service basis. As the only provider of this innovative post-packaging pasteurization technology on the East Coast, using equipment manufactured by NC Hyperbaric, the European leader in high-pressure industrial equipment, Safe Pac allows customers to safely and effectively align themselves with current consumer trends towards purchasing healthier, preservative-free products.

High Pressure Pasteurization is an all-natural, environmentally friendly, cutting-edge technology that uses intense hydrostatic pressure to deactivate and destroy pathogenic bacteria and microbiological contaminant flora.

An ideal solution for pre-packaged RTE products including meats, soups, wet salads, sauces, fruit smoothies, shellfish and seafood, Safe Pac's HPP process allows food manufacturers to offer safely packaged, minimally altered chemical-and-preservative-free goods to retailers, with minimal fear of recall due to bacterial contamination.

According to Guy Giordano, President of Safe Pac Pasteurization, LLC, "By applying up to 87,000 pounds of hydraulic pressure per square inch to ready-to-eat food products in their final packaging, our HPP Process completely eradicates harmful bacteria, eliminating the need for chemicals and preservatives, without compromising the taste or texture of the treated products."

Best with moist foods without internal air pockets, HPP places pre-packaged products in flexible containers (i.e. pouches, plastic bottles) into a high-pressure chamber, which is then flooded with cold water and pressurized for a short time period, usually 3-5 minutes. As pressure is applied uniformly around and throughout the product, reaching all parts of the product simultaneously, treated foods retain their original shape and texture.

Unlike competitive heat-based processes, the quality of HPP processed foods is similar to fresh food products, because pressure has little to no effect on low molecular weight components such as color, flavor and vitamin content. Because it protects naturally, preserving foods with water pressure, HPP meets Organic standards, processing products without impacting their USDA Organic designation.

"By denaturing the cells of food borne pathogens without using chemicals, we're setting a standard and sending a message," says Giordano. "At Safe Pac, we help customers reduce or eliminate preservatives, cut costs, and offer the all-natural and organic products today's consumers are looking for."

Source: Safe Pac, LLC