VPET CEO and President Jeff Kellar will be featured in a panel discussion at the 2021 Cold Pressure Council Annual Conference, held in conjunction with PACK EXPO Las Vegas and the Healthcare Packaging Expo 2021. The panel is scheduled for Tuesday, September 28, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center and will explore the techniques and benefits of high-pressure process, or HPP.

HPP is a natural pasteurization method that eliminates the need for high temperatures or additives, with their potential negative effects on nutrition, taste, and consumer acceptance. And because HPP is applied to food and beverages that are already contained in the final shelf package, there’s no risk of introducing contaminants after pasteurization. It’s a superior method for ensuring the quality and shelf life of products such as meats, cheeses, sauces, dairy, juices and more.

Foods and beverages that have been sealed in a flexible, waterproof container—such as a PET jar—are placed in a high-pressure vessel. Water is introduced into the vessel and pressurized to as much as 6,000 bar (87,023 PSI), more than 5.5 times the pressure at the deepest part of the ocean. After a few minutes, the pressure is released, and the packages are ready to be dried, labeled and shipped. It’s that simple.

Extreme high pressure deactivates all microorganisms. including molds, yeasts, bacteria, and others, but has no effect on the molecules that give a food or beverage its characteristic taste and nutrients. “I’m excited by this technology,” Kellar said, “because it maintains product quality and maximizes shelf life with none of the drawbacks of heat pasteurization or chemical preservatives.”

Plus, Kellar noted, “VPET’s two-stage technology is ideal for HPP. The superior quality of our injection-molded finishes ensure a tight hermetic seal while the container is under pressure. Our PET is durable and flexible enough to withstand the process without affecting the package shape. All of VPET’s locations are capable of supplying HPP-ready containers, with beverage rounds and square food canisters just a few examples of the VPET packages already being used in HPP.”

VPET offers attractive, versatile, and recyclable packaging with superior lead time and the ability to cold-preserve products right in their final packaging. “I’m excited about PACK EXPO,” Kellar enthuses, “and this opportunity to share how food and beverage producers can bring superior quality to retail shelves faster with VPET and HPP.”