Deli 24, a High Pressure Processing (HPP) service provider, has invested £2 million in order to double its production capacity. Part of the investment was a new 420-litre HPP machine from Hiperbaric that will operate alongside the company’s existing 420-litre and 135-litre machines.
“We have seen a substantial growth in the number of products which are benefiting from the considerable advantages afforded by HPP. This is across a wide range of foods, including meat, cheese, fish, ready meals, vegetables and pet food, along with juices. Recently we have also seen products aimed at the burgeoning wellness market using our toll-based HPP services, recognising the benefits of a process that extends the shelf life, while having no effect on the flavour or the nutritional properties of the product. HPP is now even being used by many as a marketing opportunity, with companies actively promoting the fact that their products are HPP-treated on their packaging,” explained Jeff Winter, Deli 24 Managing Director.
The HPP technology simulates the effect that ultra-high-pressure water surrounding the food product has on the cell wall structure of living organisms. Therefore, the processing results in the inactivation of food spoilage organisms and pathogens, while keeping flavour and nutrition unaffected and enabling the production of premium-quality, safer, more natural products. The water pressure applied is up to 87,000 psi (6,000 Bar) or the equivalent of being 60 km under the sea, an environment in which living things struggle to survive.
“Some countries are more accustomed to the benefits of HPP than others, but we are seeing growth in both domestic and export activities. This is from existing customers whose HPP-treated products are achieving sales growth, as well as new customers who we are introducing to HPP as a process and helping them with their products and packaging to enable them to maximise the opportunities it presents. This investment in another machine has been made to allow us to meet this increase in demand,” said Paul Winter, Deli 24 Director.
Deli 24 was launched in 2010 and since then its main plant has doubled in size. From the initial 135-litre HPP machine, in 2014 the first 420-litre machine was installed, followed by the addition of this new 420-litre machine.
