HPP is best suited to refrigerated, already-packaged foods. Below is guidance by category, including the pathogens most relevant to each and the regulatory context that applies.
Juice & Beverages
HPP lets juice processors skip the citric acid and other additives typically used to extend shelf life, preserving natural taste, color, and nutrient content while still meeting food safety requirements.
Pathogens: E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp., and Listeria monocytogenes — the “pertinent pathogens” under FDA’s Juice HACCP rule. Regulatory context: FDA’s Juice HACCP regulation (21 CFR 120) requires a validated 5-log reduction of the most resistant pathogen likely to occur in a given juice, sustained across shelf life. HPP is an accepted non-thermal method for meeting that standard, and is what allows HPP juice to go to market without the “unpasteurized” warning label required on raw juice. Each formulation needs its own validation (a process authority letter).
Dips, Salsas & Guacamole
Guacamole, hummus, dairy-based dressings, and fresh tomato-based sauces are sensitive to heat and additives — HPP extends shelf life and controls pathogens without altering flavor, emulsion, or texture.
Pathogens: Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. FDA’s multi-year sampling of processed avocado and guacamole found both pathogens at meaningfully lower rates in HPP-treated product versus untreated. Regulatory context: Governed by FDA’s Preventive Controls for Human Food rule (21 CFR 117) — a documented hazard analysis and risk-based preventive controls plan, rather than a category-specific standard. If your product is acidified to pH ≤4.6, it may instead fall under the Acidified Foods rule (see Sauces & Salsas below).
Meat, Poultry & Seafood
HPP is used as a post-lethality treatment for sliced deli meats, sausage, and other RTE meat and poultry, and as an intervention for raw seafood and shellfish — with the added benefit that HPP makes mollusks (oysters, mussels) and crustaceans (crab, lobster) significantly easier to shuck or de-shell, improving yield.
Pathogens (meat/poultry): primarily Listeria monocytogenes. Regulatory context (meat/poultry): USDA-FSIS regulation 9 CFR 430.4 governs control of Listeria monocytogenes in post-lethality exposed RTE products. HPP is a recognized post-lethality treatment under the rule’s Alternative 1/2 framework, but each processor must validate the specific log reduction achieved for their product and process — there’s no blanket published number.
Pathogens (seafood): Vibrio vulnificus / V. parahaemolyticus (raw shellfish), Listeria monocytogenes (RTE smoked/cured seafood), Clostridium botulinum (vacuum/reduced-oxygen packaged raw fish). Regulatory context (seafood): Governed by FDA Seafood HACCP (21 CFR 123). HPP is FDA/ISSC-approved specifically as a post-harvest Vibrio treatment for raw oysters. Important limit: FDA guidance states there’s no adequate HPP-based control for C. botulinum in vacuum-packed raw fish — that risk still requires time/temperature control or other barriers.
Ready-to-Eat Meals & Sauces
HPP adds a safety and shelf-life layer to prepared meals, sauces, and marinades without altering recipe or texture.
Pathogens: Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella generally; Clostridium botulinum specifically for refrigerated, reduced-oxygen-packaged (ROP) products. Regulatory context: Governed by 21 CFR Part 117. Important limit: HPP does not reliably inactivate C. botulinum spores at standard process temperatures. ROP products need FDA’s layered “hurdle” approach (refrigeration below 38°F, limited shelf life unless another barrier like pH or water activity is present, controlled packaging oxygen transmission) — HPP is one layer, not a standalone solution for botulism risk.
Sauces & Salsas (Acidified / Shelf-Stable)
If pH is formulated to 4.6 or below for shelf stability rather than just refrigerated freshness, different rules apply.
Pathogens: primarily C. botulinum risk if low-acid ingredients (garlic, oil) make up a meaningful share of the recipe. Regulatory context: Governed by the Acidified Foods regulation (21 CFR Part 114), built around preventing C. botulinum outgrowth via low pH. This rule assumes thermal processing by default — a cold-filled, HPP-only acidified product needs its own scientific data (typically a challenge study) showing pathogens die off naturally at that pH, or an FDA-accepted alternative process on file.
Dairy & Yogurt
HPP is best positioned here as a post-process safety and shelf-life step, not a replacement for pasteurization.
Pathogens: Listeria monocytogenes (the dominant RTE dairy risk — FDA applies zero tolerance for Lm in RTE foods), Salmonella, pathogenic E. coli. A common entry point for yogurt specifically is fruit purees or mix-ins added after the base pasteurization step. Regulatory context: Fluid milk products fall under the Grade “A” Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO), which defines “pasteurized” as a specific heat treatment (21 CFR 1240.61) — using HPP as a substitute for that heat step requires case-by-case FDA equivalency approval. Yogurt’s standard of identity (21 CFR 131.200) separately requires the dairy mix be pasteurized before culturing — a mandatory heat step HPP can’t replace. The regulation does allow optional treatment after culturing to extend shelf life and reduce risk, which is exactly where HPP fits: post-culture, post-packaging.
Quality & Food Safety
Why It Matters
Food recalls are expensive and damaging — administration, legal fees, lost stock, and brand reputation can run into the millions, on top of the food itself going to waste. Leading processors use HPP to deliver products that are safe from E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria, and other pathogens and spoilage organisms, while maintaining the taste, texture, nutrition, and shelf life their customers expect — without heat or chemicals.
Certifications & Validation
- We have our GMP with Costco Addendum and Organic Certificates. We are registered with the FDA, California Department of Public Health, and the USDA
- We are happy to connect you with laboratories that can help with a process authority letter or validation study