The future of HPP is promising, with continued technological innovations and expanding applications to meet growing consumer demand for better-for-you processing methods.

Unlike traditional heat methods, HPP is cold pasteurization using ultra-high pressure purified water to subject foods with up to nearly 90,000 pounds of pressure per square inch. At this pressure, bacteria including Listeria, E. coli, and Salmonella are destroyed. By using ultra-high pressure instead of heat or chemicals, HPP inactivates foodborne pathogens to ensure product safety while maintaining freshness, taste and nutritional value. Popular HPP categories include refrigerated soups, baby food, pet foods and ready-to-eat meals.

“It's almost perplexing that it isn't more heavily adopted already, because of the benefits that you get from it,” said Keenan Drenning, director of high pressure processing at Quintus Technologies America. “But, but that's our job, to get the word out there that this is, this is the best way, in our minds to, produce clean food that's safe.

Quintus Technologies last fall debuted its QIF 600L High Pressure Processing (HPP) system, now the largest capacity in the industry.

With a 600-liter cycle capacity and an 18.5-inch diameter pressure vessel, the HPP press accommodates more packages per cycle, processing up to 9,150 pounds of products per hour. The company expects to deliver the model to its first customers later this year.

“What is unique to the 600L is that it is the largest and highest capacity vessel on the market, which means it can pack more product in each cycle and give customers the highest overall throughput. In turn, this leads to the lowest running cost per pound of product weight,” Drenning said.

Developers of the first commercially viable HPP system for F&B in 1995, the company offers food science experts at its U.S. applications center outside of Columbus, Ohio, helping processors with services including optimized product formulations and packaging and an in-house lab providing things like pathogen validation and shelf-life studies to assistance with HACCP implementation and regulatory compliance.

“We have a full microbiology lab, test kitchen, and in-house HPP press. We can help our customers through every aspect of getting their products HPP ready, whether that is in ingredient formulation, packaging instruction, or micro and shelf-life testing,” Drenning said. “All of Quintus Technologies’ HPP presses come with patented algorithm drives our pressure intensifiers. It allows us to reduce energy costs, lower noise output, and increase life-length on high-pressure components. We also make our presses easier to access serviceable components. Lastly, we use Variable Frequency Drives to lower the energy consumption of pumps when the press is idling. These are important accomplishments in terms of sustainability and in ergonomics for the workers in our customers’ plants.”

Hiperbaric has installed more than 400 machines in more than 50 countries across five continents and will hosts an annual HPP Innovation Week. The company’s HPP Incubator offers entrepreneurs and manufacturers free testing and development assistance, with pilot plants in Miami, Florida, Burgos, Spain, and Shanghai, China.

“By offering free HPP testing and consulting, Hiperbaric is effectively lowering the barriers to entry for food manufacturers interested in exploring high-pressure processing technology,” Peregrina said. “Their approach is not just about providing equipment, but about fostering innovation, supporting food entrepreneurship and helping companies develop value-added food and beverage products that meet evolving consumer demands.

The company opened the Shanghai office last summer, aiming to capture 45% of the market share.

Globally, the HPP equipment market is expected to reach a valuation of 1.1 billion by 2033 with a compound annual growth rate of 12.8% through the forecast period, according to Future Market Insights. Asia and Latin America among the emerging markets.

“The HPP industry is on a remarkable trajectory of growth and innovation for the next five to 10 years. What's particularly interesting is how existing customers are driving industry evolution through increased adoption and automation investments. We're seeing a clear trend where established HPP users are not just maintaining their operations, but significantly expanding their processing capacity. Many of our customers who started with single units are now operating multiple machines, often investing in larger capacity equipment and automated solutions. This organic growth within our existing customer base is a strong indicator of HPP's proven value proposition,” said Roberto Peregrina, executive director of Hiperbaric.

Over the past five years, Hiperbaric has implemented more than 20 advanced automation projects, integrating robotic systems for loading and unloading products. Legacy users have retrofit existing facilities with automated solutions to stay competitive and improve their operations.

Tolling has become a foundational strategy for processors, particularly for smaller and medium-sized manufacturers looking to reduce capital expenses and flexibly scale production.

“HPP tolling demand has accelerated rapidly, driven specifically by retail private-label brands seeking natural, clean label products,” Peregrina said. Hiperbaric has a network of more than 70 HPP-tollers offering the technology in five continents, he said.

JBT – Avure also partners with food processors to help them develop and adapt their products for high-pressure processing or by referring them to a toller.

By helping to “shorten the HPP learning curve”, manufacturers will benefit with a faster commercialization experience.  Our assistance includes product formulation, packaging selection and any necessary HPP testing such as validation and shelf-life studies,” said Austin Lowder, Ph.D., food science manager at JBT-Avure Technologies. “Equipment models continue to evolve, becoming more efficient and thereby lowering the total cost of ownership,” “These evolutions include more energy efficient pumping technologies, higher throughputs and digital customer care platforms like Omniblu, which offers online parts ordering, operational data and insights and predictive maintenance summaries.  Other technologies being researched include ‘bulk’ processing solutions to increase throughput and drive down costs.”

While the focus at R&FF is on food, HPP is entering new avenues.

“While HPP has traditionally been used in food processing, the technology is rapidly expanding into new fields such as: pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, pet food, cosmetics and other novel industrial applications in non-food items,” Peregrina said. “This diversification opens exciting opportunities for innovation and application across multiple industries.”

HPP technology allowed Canadian-based Nova Harvest Ltd., to open a new business line using the presses to shuck oysters, separating the meat from the shell at a rate that is far more efficient than any manual method. A Quintus Technologies press is scheduled to be installed this spring.

“The long-term outlook for Canada is that there is incredible potential to increase output from shellfish aquaculture,” said J.P. Hastey, president of Nova Harvest. “We see HPP technology as a powerful tool to create new oyster products that allow for a more diversified offering to increase demand and support the continued development of our nation’s shellfish industry.”

And Hiperbaric last year introduced High Pressure Thermal Processing (HPTP), a food preservation technology that transforms shelf-stable product manufacturing. Developed in partnership with CSIRO, this method achieves microbial inactivation using significantly less heat than conventional sterilization techniques, preserving critical nutritional attributes, color, and flavor. The HPTP technology, which is compatible with Hiperbaric HPP machines, offers manufacturers a unique solution for creating low-acid shelf-stable products that maintain superior sensory characteristics.

“With the increasing occurrence of food recalls, HPP is emerging as a critical technology for ensuring food safety. As a post-packaging process, it also prevents the risk of recontamination,” Peregrina said. “As the technology becomes more accessible and versatile, we can expect to see increased adoption across various industries.”