Among innovative food processing technologies, High Hydrostatic Pressure in combination with Temperature (HPT) has been proven at research level to obtain safer, high quality food products with an extended shelf life, both for chilled and shelf stable products.
Although it is accepted that HPT can help to retain the fresh-like characteristics of foods better than conventional and other novel treatments, it has not yet been scaled-up and fully implemented into the food industry.
Nine European partners will work together for the coming 30 months (until August 2017) on these challenges, to implement HPT in the food industry on an industrial scale.
HIPSTER addresses the main barriers preventing the first market introduction and full deployment of HPT. The Project will be implemented by an industry-driven consortium comprising five industries (both technology providers and end-users) and four RTD organisations. Together, they will tackle the most critical barriers for the deployment of the HPT technology in the food industry, overcoming the major challenges for full commercialisation. This purpose will be achieved through the following activities:
R&D activities:
identify process windows (pressure/Temperature/time) ensuring inactivation of pathogens and spoilage microorganisms using defined model systems and real foods.
Prototyping activities:
o Engineering and construction of a full-scale HPT equipment unit (30l) suitable for processing
at different Pressure/Temperature ranges. The equipment is based on an innovative design of
the vessel. Include auxiliary units for the preheating and cooling.
o Construction of tools (sensors, gauges, etc.) for process monitoring.
o Develop a public database containing microbial kinetic parameters determined under well-
defined processing conditions for guidance to food industry and Control Authorities.
Validation activities:
o Pilot and Industrial scale testing of HPT treatments
o Experimental production of a range of new food products (ready to eat and ready to use fish,
meat and vegetable products). Shelf life studies.
o Viability study: compliance with legal requirements, economic feasibility, and sustainability.
o Demonstrating in full scale operational conditions the sustainability and techno-economic
feasibility of the equipment and tools developed in collaboration with end users from the food
sector.
Dissemination and exploitation activities:
o Communication of the technology to the broad public.
o Market plan to be deployed by each of the industrial partners.