The diagram on the right shows (1) the effect HPP has on the cellular activities of microorganisms and other food-borne pathogens. While traditional approaches of killing bacteria with high-temperatures or chemical additives are very effective at destroying bacteria, they can also destroy some of the other important characteristics of food-- including the flavor, texture, color, and nutrition. Still, food-borne pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, and E. coli O157:H7 continue to pose a significant threat to public health—at great cost to our nation’s food producers and consumers.

     HPP works because uniform high pressure affects microbial cellular integrity and metabolism without affecting the covalent structures of food components responsible for nutrition and flavor (2). Under 300-600MPa, the microbial microbial cell membrane of food-born pathogens and bacteria become damaged and permeability changes, affecting microbial growth; within 24 hours, microbial activity decreases steadily, lowering microbial count to the minimum possible. In this way, it inactivates microorganisms that cause spoilage, naturally preserving the freshness of packaged foods. HPP thus allows processors to substantially reduce or eliminate the use of chemical preservatives, cutting costs while creating the clean-label, all-natural and organic products consumers are demanding.