Okay, so your company is interested in benefiting from the multiple commercial and food safety advantages offered by High Pressure Processing from JBT Avure HPP, but what does it take to get there? How can you adjust your processes, packaging and procedures to make them HPP-ready? And what do you need to have in place in terms of space and facilities?
From making sure your packaging is suitable for HPP to regulatory and site considerations, there is a lot to bear in mind when seeking to make the switch, so having support in the form of JBT’s Food Science team can really make the difference.
“You first have to answer, is HPP applicable to your product? Does HPP work for it?” says JBT Avure Regional Sales Manager, Kevin Kennedy. “JBT’s Food Science experts can help answer that basic question. We also need to understand your primary objective for using HPP. Is it food safety? Longer shelf-life? A desire for a clean label product? Perhaps it’s all them!
“Our team can provide guidance on the regulatory requirements you’re likely to encounter for your HPP product and we can assist with the necessary validation and shelf-life testing. All-in-all, discussions with our experienced, knowledgeable HPP Food Science team helps shorten the HPP learning curve and accelerate the commercialization of your product.”
Beyond the product itself, other basics to consider include correctly sizing the HPP system to the match your production requirements, both now and in the future. JBT Avure Project Management helps to plan the most efficient equipment layout for your facility plus we’ll review the necessary utility and staffing required. “All of these things have to be in place,” says Kennedy.
Packaging requirements
Another key consideration for any company looking to take advantage of the multiple benefits offered by HPP is that the packaging needs to be flexible given the compression that takes place during the process.
“The packaging has to be able to compress by 15% and more if there is any ‘head space’ or air trapped inside the product,” says JBT Avure HPP Food Science Manager, Austin Lowder.
A further area that Lowder highlights is the need for any plastic packaging to have good barrier properties. “One of the most commonly available, PET, is a strong plastic with good barrier properties, which can be recycled and reused,” he says.
“PET is also commonly used as a film, providing a hermetic seal for trays and cups. Vacuum packing using material such as polyethylene is also really good for guacamole or sliced meals, which are susceptible to oxidation.”
To understand what’s the right packaging to use, Kennedy adds that JBT’s HPP experts can help guide customers through the review process and shorten the time to commercialization.
Key questions to convert to HPP:
Is your product applicable with HPP?
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- What’s the product formulation?
- Does it require a formal validation and/or shelf-life test to meet the necessary regulatory requirements?
What’s your goal with HPP?
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- Food safety, shelf-life extension or product quality enhancement?
Is your packaging suitable?
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- Is it flexible and able to withstand compression?
- Are the packaging material properties sufficient to support your extended shelf-life goal?
- Can head space be minimized?
Do you need to make any changes to your facility?
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- Do you have sufficient space for current and future production needs?
- Do my current utilities support the HPP equipment?
- Will automation be part of the system?
- Do I have the necessary cold storage space?