American Pasteurization Co., a Milwaukee-based high-pressure toll processor, and The National Food Lab, a food and beverage consulting and testing firm, joined forces to better serve U.S. food and beverage manufacturers.

As more food manufacturers consider high-pressure processing (HPP), this new collaboration provides companies with a complete HPP solution – from testing and validation through HPP implementation. Additionally, it allows companies to more effectively reap the benefits of HPP.

To meet these demands, a new 2-liter unit for high-pressure testing will be available at The National Food Lab’s Livermore, Calif., headquarters this fall. As part of the partnership, APC’s clients will have access to The National Food Lab’s full suite of services, including challenge studies, shelf-life studies, product development and formulation work, focus groups and taste panels.

“Access to high-quality validation from technical experts is absolutely crucial when adopting HPP,” says Justin Segel, chief executive officer of APC. “We continue to hear from current and potential customers that they need a reliable, quality testing partner who understands the scientific effects of HPP.”

“HPP technology is a key processing solution for our clients and the industry. This partnership, coupled with our vast experience as a recognized processing authority and our expert staff, led by Dr. Wilfredo Ocasio, will allow us to continue to be at the forefront of providing food safety solutions,” says Kevin Waters, president of The National Food Labs.

In addition, The National Food Labs can provide product development and sensory services for products that need development work prior to commercialization with the HPP technique, while APC can provide packaging and logistics solutions to make products HPP-ready. Through partnership of the two organizations, the processes of testing and implementation will be streamlined, speeding time-to-market.