Delivering Successful HPP Products

High Pressure Processing for Food: The Time Is Now Part 2 Delivering on the Promise of HPP: From Concept to Commercialization April 2012 1Delivering on the Promise of HPP: From Concept to Commercialization Today’s consumers want fresh, healthy and preservative- free foods that are convenient and delicious. Not to mention in keeping with whatever safety standards of the day are making news. Food processors trying to respond to these demands need shelf life in order to deliver safe innovative products. Meeting these requirements and regulatory compliance is a challenge that high pressure processing (HPP) has been proven to meet in a wide range of refrigerated food categories. High Pressure Processing: It’s More Than Equipment Before HPP becomes incorporated into a product processing strategy, objectives for that product must be defined. Is pathogen elimination a key objective? Is shelf life extension needed in order to enable innovation or to reach new geographical or demographic markets? How important is clean-label? Are consumer requirements of convenience and quality attainable with your product? And is your product even viable for high pressure processing? It’s after you’ve determined that HPP will achieve your objectives and is suitable for your product, that the “process” of high pressure processing begins. It often happens that processes become narrowly defined to meet the needs of whoever is describing it – at the sake of the more complete picture. This is often the case with high pressure processing, depending on whom you may be talking to. “HPP is the packaging.” “It’s the equipment.” “It’s the food science and product development.” “It’s all about the marketing.” Successful high pressure processing is in fact all of these things, requiring a coordinated cross-functional effort in the processor organization and a vendor who can support the processor from its conception through its life cycle. Embarking on delivery of a new HPP product is a journey, that will require resources from your: • R&D: Product and packaging development and validation • Operations: Equipment and automation/material handling selection, installation planning and support, and on-going operation of your HPP site • Safety/Quality Control: HACCP planning and approvals, adherence to processor’s quality standards • Marketing: Product testing, branding and go to market/launch efforts • Maintenance: Team training, efficient system maintenance, initial spare parts quantities planning shelf-life extension increased shellfish yields clean-label products HPP convenience reduced sodium products innovative fresh products pathogen elimination 2Planning for a Successful HPP Journey 1. Food science – making HPP technology work Whether you have your own food scientists and lab, or use external resources from your HPP equipment vendor or contract service provider, there is no substitute for deep expertise in the proper use of high pressure for pathogen elimination and shelf life extension. The steps that you will need to complete involve planning, testing and often, patience. From commencement of recipe development to approval may take four months or more based upon microbiology studies for expected shelf life. Getting to successful production requires experience in: • Recipe development and testing • Microbiology validations • Shelf-life testing • Formula modifications and revisions • Product development/formulation Process development/optimization • Package optimization for vessel space, shelf life and regulatory approval • HACCP development • Resolution of regulatory issues and final approvals • Continued Product Development with your customers after installation of HPP 2. It’s not just size that matters Determining what HPP equipment is optimum for your needs isn’t focused on size of the press or its capacity alone. In addition to throughput, which will allow forecasting how much product you can process with your equipment options, you’ll want to know with confidence: • What is the anticipated/tested/average uptime for the equipment you are evaluating? • What is the total cost of ownership so critical to your decision-making? Factor in capital costs, civil works costs, and operational costs. • What about the size of the equipment and type of the equipment? Can your plant support its footprint? Do you need horizontal, vertical, lab or seafood-specific equipment? • What about your automation and material handling needs? • Who is the vendor and what is their actual experience? How many systems are installed? How much are they producing? What is the customer reorder rate? 3• Is the equipment used? If so, it could be a warning sign that its previous owner was so unsuccessful that the equipment is no longer wanted. • Are vendor installation and operator/maintenance training part of what you are buying? Some processors go the route of contract service providers (toll processors) to meet their HPP needs. These toll processors take the capital investment burden out of the HPP equation for processors whose needs don’t justify full equipment ownership. Contract service providers often have value add services that can make them great HPP partners, whether for market entry or long-term production. However, look for certification by the equipment vendor, and for a list of satisfied customers. 3. To market, to market While some processors have maintained stealth status on their use of high pressure processing, it is becoming more and more apparent to new product innovators and their marketing counterparts that HPP offers competitive advantage in some pretty crowded markets. And it’s just a matter of time before savvy consumers begin to demand it, so being able to communicate the benefits of your investment in HPP processing may become part of your marketing strategy. Many processors desire assistance with development of culturally/regionally and legally appropriate branding that reflects the safety/clean-label/convenience benefits to their HPP products. Look for vendor assistance in development and even implementation of product launch and promotion plans, including: • Launch events • Awareness building promotions • On-going public relations • Identification of potential marketing partners High Pressure Processing: It’s More Than Equipment Only Avure Technologies has complete solutions to take a processor from new product idea to market launch and support thereafter. We’ve been the leader in high pressure technologies for decades and our equipment has been involved in the creation and delivery of as much as 70% of commercially available HPP products today. • Our market-leading leading family of equipment can fit the needs of processors of all sizes, from R&D lab efforts to 24 X 7 multi-site facilities, offers flexible automation solutions and has the highest reorder rate of any HPP vendor. • The leader in high pressure processing since its first use in food processing in the 1950’s, Avure offers unmatched food science, lab support, and packaging optimization, and operates the world’s only dedicated HPP lab. • Our growing network of certified HPP contract service providers are employed by processors in the Americas and Europe for processing that ranges from start-up to long-term production, new product trials or seasonal growth. 4• We offer marketing services and support from branding strategy to event marketing to public relations, and seek out opportunities to promote our customers’ successes at every turn. • Avure customers are cared for long after a press is installed with 24/7 telephone support, worldwide service team and global spares depots. • Avure high pressure processing solutions minimize your time to market while maximizing your success. Case Study: Ifantis When Ifantis (www.ifantis.gr) initially considered incorporating high pressure processing into its product strategy, the primary goal was shelf life extension for its popular packaged meat products that are shipped throughout the Greek islands. Shelf life extension would mitigate high customer returns of spoiled product resulting from lack of reliability in the cold chain. Expansion of markets beyond Greece was a secondary business objective requiring shelf life extension. Additionally, Ifantis was proactively searching for a way to provide an extra level of product safety assurance as lethal events were making headlines and drawing both regulatory and public scrutiny. After selection of the Avure QFP 350L as the equipment of choice for its gold standard of throughput and capacity, uptime of 95% or greater and highly adaptable material handling, Ifantis was only beginning its HPP journey. Ifantis required the assistance of the Avure food science lab and staff to perform product formulation, optimization of micro inactivation and process conditions, packaging optimization, HACCP and regulatory approval processes. To communicate the safety assurance that Ifantis was offering through its use of HPP in a simple but very visible way, Avure assisted the company with its FreshPress brand and labeling, development of a launch plan, and tactical support in public relations, relevant website content development and event-related joint marketing activity. Results to date: With the extended shelf life available to Ifantis through Avure HPP, Ifantis is reaching new markets with reinforced commitment to its fresh, safe product delivery. The FreshPress product line is one of Ifantis’ most successful, with a variety of sliced meats and a new line of preservative-free HPP traditional Greek salads, reaching a 30%+ increase in sales. Returns declined to near negligible levels, recovering the cost of the HPP equipment (an Avure QFP 350L-600) in less than one year. “Our FreshPress line of products includes a wide range of cut meats, already familiar to our markets and we are developing a line of deli salads that will be made safer with a longer shelf life using HPP as well. Our goal is to provide an extra degree of protection to our products while maintaining their taste and nutritional quality. The FreshPress HPP technology provides the ability to do all this — without chemicals.“ - Kostantinos Ifantis, CEO, Ifantis Watch HPP in action at Ifantis >> For more information on Ifantis >> 5Key Takeaways • HPP enables food marketers to enhance their current products to make them more marketable or expand their reach, and to create innovative new products, often allowing higher price point possibilities resulting in increased revenues. • Selection of a provider of HPP solutions should take into consideration the ability of the vendor to support your product from concept to successful launch, minimizing time to market. • Delivering successful HPP products requires cross-functional coordination and a vendor that understands infrastructure as well as packaging requirements. • Avure Technologies is the only HPP solutions vendor with a track record in all aspects of HPP product delivery from concept to commercialization, with fastest possible time to market. For more information about how Avure HPP Solutions can help you deliver successful innovative products, contact Avure Technologies at [email protected] or +1 800.959.1135 or visit our website. For more information on HPP benefits within food categories: High Pressure Processing for Food: The Time Is Now Part 1: Opportunities for Food Product Innovation Using HPP >> Avure HPP Application Briefs: High Pressure Processing of Wet Salads and Dips >> High Pressure Processing of Fresh Cut Fruits and Vegetables and Juices >> High Pressure Processing of Meat Products >> High Pressure Processing of Seafood and Shellfish >> Other resources: Avure Customer Video Brief >> Avure Customer Use Briefs: Maple Lodge Farms >> Ghezzi Alimentari >> Ifantis >> i r r r i f r : i I s Briefs: 6Avure Technologies The high pressure systems from Avure are designed, manufactured, and installed by Avure Technologies. With headquarters in Franklin, Tennessee, USA and a facility in Columbus, Ohio, USA, Avure specializes in high pressure presses for food processing and preservation, metal forming and densification of critical industrial parts. Avure and its predecessor companies have been leading the development of high-pressure technology applications for more than 50 years. Avure Technologies Global Headquarters and Americas Sales 210 Gothic Court Franklin, TN 37067 +1 615.224.2600 Europe and Asia Pacific Sales Quintusvagen 2 SE 721 66 Vasteras Sweden +46 21 327000 Email: [email protected] © 2012 Avure Technologies. All rights reserved. Trademarks listed herein are the properties of their respective owners.