Meat&Poultry - March 2011 - 100

PACKAGING

enhancing food safety are virtually undisputed. Experts including Dr. James Marsden, senior science advisor of the North American Meat Processors Association and the Regent’s Distinguished Professor of Meat Science at Kansas State Univ., have worked with the technology to conduct studies to verify its effectiveness. “HPP for processed meats works beautifully, it’s well proven and established in the marketMarsden place,” Marsden says. “It takes Listeria right off the table. It virtually eliminates the risk of Listeria in those types of products.” HPP is also highly effective with other types of meats. Marsden conducted a study at KSU, in conjunction with researchers at the Univ. of Nebraska, to find out if HPP is as effective in killing Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7. “We conducted an inoculation study and then measured the reduction of Salmonella and E.coli O157:H7 with HPP treatment,” he continues. “We got a 5-log reduction for both pathogens, which is the same result as cooking. It virtually eliminated E. coli and Salmonella from raw ground beef. “That said, even though it works great from a food safety point of view, there’s a lot that has to be done to make it commercially viable. HPP can distort the appearance of the product, it can change the color of the product, and sometimes it can create heat,” Marsden adds. “Temperature has to be controlled during the process. Packaging has to be well designed so that it doesn’t get distorted. And oxygen has to be controlled so that you don’t get oxidation or browning of the product during treatment. “But if all these parameters are controlled, then it can work beautifully for any type of product,” he says. “I can remember having the same conversation about HPP 10 to 12 years ago when processors fi rst wanted to start using the technology on pro-

The extended shelf-life conferred by HPP often allows processors to save on their packaging costs, especially in the reduction of gas use. (Photo courtesy of Maple Lodge Farms)

cessed meats, and the same challenges and concerns were out there. Obviously processors were able to overcome the obstacles. I have no doubt that they will be able to overcome the same challenges for raw meats.”

Perfect packaging
Packaging concerns top the list when it comes to processors considering add-

ing HPP to an existing production system. “Not all packaging is suitable for high-pressure processing,” says Greg Zaja, vice president of sales and R&D for Milwaukee-based American Pasteurization Company, where food companies ship their products to be HPP treated. A growing number of meat and poultry processors are utilizing APC’s service, and

Cargill introduces Fressure patties
In mid February, Cargill announced a partnership with Milwaukee-based American Pasteurization Company to offer fresh ground-beef patties for foodservice customers that are treated using high-pressure processing technology. The products, marketed under Cargill’s Fressure brand, offer customers shelf-life that is double that of traditional fresh burgers without effecting flavor or appearance, the company said. Fressure ground beef patties are first produced and packaged at Cargill’s Columbus, Neb., facility before being shipped to APC’s facility in Milwaukee and HPP. The process does not use high temperatures, chemicals or irradiation, while ensures the retention of the nutrient value and freshness of the ground beef, the company said. Cargill focused research efforts on making HPP commercially viable for ground beef patties with a goal of pushing shelf-life from 21 days to 42 days without any side effects, while eliminating pathogens that cause foodborne illness and spoilage. APC was founded in June, 2004 by an ownership team that includes Justin Segel, formerly the president of Emmpak Foods, which was acquired by Cargill in 2001. APC treats a variety of proteins, fruits and vegetables at its plant but Cargill is the fi rst processor sending ground beef to the facility for HPP treatment. “Bringing Fressure to market required a multi-year investment in research and development for equipment and processes,” said a Cargill spokesman. “The benefits extend to both fresh and frozen Fressure patties,” he added. ■

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