Oklahoma and regional food processors can explore high-pressure processing technology during the Hiperbaric Global Roadshow Oklahoma, hosted Sept. 17 by Oklahoma State University’s Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center.

The workshop will give food industry professionals a hands-on look at FAPC’s newly installed Hiperbaric 55 system and connect attendees with OSU experts, Hiperbaric’s technical team and University of Nebraska-Lincoln food safety experts. Sessions will focus on how HPP may support food safety, shelf life, product quality and commercialization decisions.

High-pressure processing, or HPP, uses cold water pressure rather than heat to help inactivate pathogens and spoilage-causing microorganisms in packaged food. For processors, the technology can support food safety goals, extend refrigerated shelf life and product quality while helping companies evaluate whether HPP fits their products and operations.

“An investment like this one only pays off when processors can put their hands on it,” said Roy Escoubas, FAPC director. “This workshop gives food processors in Oklahoma and well beyond a firsthand look at HPP technology, along with ongoing access to the expertise and research needed to evaluate what it can do for their products.”

FAPC’s HPP capability gives processors a lower-risk way to test products and evaluate the science, equipment and business case before outsourcing, changing production or investing in equipment. The center’s FDA- and USDA-inspected facility allows companies to work with FAPC specialists and OSU researchers while exploring how HPP may apply to their specific products.

The workshop is open to food industry professionals, processors, researchers and partners interested in learning more about HPP. It is especially relevant for meat, poultry, seafood, pet food and ready-to-eat product manufacturers, as well as food safety, quality assurance, product development, operations and business decision-makers evaluating whether HPP may support their products or processing goals.

The Sept. 17 event will include an introduction to HPP science and principles, value-added applications in meat processing, food safety considerations for controlling Listeria monocytogenes, research on HPP as a value-recovery tool for dark-cutting beef, economic considerations for commercialization and a hands-on demonstration using FAPC’s Hiperbaric 55 system.

“Processors often need to see how HPP works with real products before they can determine whether it fits their operation,” said Shade Hughes, FAPC’s high pressure processing program manager. “This workshop gives them a chance to ask questions, see the equipment and better understand what product testing at FAPC could look like.”

Registration is hosted by Hiperbaric and is open to the public, with space limited to about 50 attendees. Event details and registration are available online.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communications, program information or reasonable accommodations need to contact Karen Smith at 405-744-6277 or email karenl.smith@okstate.edu at least two weeks prior to the event.