High-Pressure Processing Explained

What is HPP?

 HPP stands for High-Pressure Processing—a cold, non-thermal method that uses extremely high water pressure (typically 400–600 MPa / 58,000–87,000 psi)
to inactivate harmful microbes in sealed, refrigerated foods while preserving
fresh taste, texture, and nutrients—no heat or chemical preservatives.

So How Does HPP Work?

Step 1: Load & seal

Products are sealed in their final, water-resistant packaging and loaded into a high-pressure vessel. Flexible plastic structures (e.g., PET, PE, PP, PA, EVOH multilayers; rPET/PLA variants) are typically used.

Step 2: Cold water + uniform pressure

The vessel fills with cold water and pressure is applied isostatically—the same in all directions—so packages and food are not crushed. Typical processing ranges are ~400–700 MPa (58,000–101,000 psi) held for a few minutes.

Ready to use: Microbial inactivation,
fresh quality

That pressure inactivates bacteria, yeasts, molds, and viruses while better preserving fresh taste, color, and nutrients vs. heat methods. Short, pressure-induced
temperature rise occurs but the process remains non-thermal.

Benefitsof HPP

Why brands choose “cold pressure”

  • Extended shelf life

    often weeks to months, depending on product (e.g., hummus from ~28 days to 100+ days reported), helping reduce shrink and returns

  • Food safety

    effective against pathogens of concern (e.g., Listeria monocytogenes), supporting robust HACCP validation.

  • Fresh taste & nutrients

    non-thermal, so flavor, color, and nutrients are better retained vs. heat pasteurization.

  • Clean-label friendly

    achieve safety and shelf life without chemical preservatives, supporting short, simple ingredient decks.

  • In-package process

    treated in final packaging, lowering post-process contamination risk and simplifying cold-chain logistics

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Industries we serves

  • Juice & cold pressed beverages

  • Dips, sauces and dressings

  • Ready to eat (RTE) meats and deli

  • Seafood

  • Baby food and purees

  • Pet foods (fresh/refrigerated)

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