Q. Will HPP food equipment use a lot of energy?
A. HPP does not use a lot of energy. Foods are composed mostly of water and water has very low compressibility. For example, compressing water to 80,000 psi uses the same amount of energy as heating the same amount of water from 40 to 109 degrees Farenheit.

Q. Is HPP truly heat-free?
A. Yes, there is no heat transfer during HPP. HPP adds no heat to the food. However, depending on the food, a slight temperature change of approximately 10 to 15 degrees Farenheit may occur with compression. This is reversed during decompression. The product exits with no temperature change.

Q. Will HPP guarantee product safety and quality?
A. Quality has to come from the source. HPP will maximize product integrity but will not turn a bad product into a good one. Food safety depends on a sensible HACCP plan along with GMP. Ultrahigh-pressure should only be viewed as an integral part of the HACCP plan.

Q. Will HPP homogenize my product?
A. Unlike homogenization, in which a product is jetted from an opening under high-pressure to create a turbulent shear for blending or particle size reduction, HPP only subjects the product to a uniform hydrostatic pressure. This results in no fluid shear, and food products retain their original consistency.

Q. Is HPP only used for microbiological effects?
A. No, HPP has been shown to benefit certain foods in areas such as texture modification, flavor development, moisture retention, etc. These effects may allow new product formulations.

Q. How expensive is HPP?
A. HPP is not intended to replace conventional heat treatment. For high value-added products that are degraded by heat treatment, the benefits to quality, nutrition, color, shelf life, safety, and other factors can easily justify the cost of HPP.