Feel Foods uses HPP to extend shelf life
The latest third-party testing of the cheese alternatives extended the previous shelf life by more than 100% after undergoing the HPP process, increasing from five weeks to more than 10 weeks.
The Canadian company said this not only allows consumers to longer to consume the dairy alternative products, but also allows for a variety of new distribution channels and the onboarding of additional food distributors that require a specific shelf life for products they carry. The longer shelf life provides logistical advantages as the company looks to scale production, continue expansion across Canada, and seeks entry into the US market.
Feel Foods director and CEO David Greenway said, “We will continue testing to further extend the shelf life of our hand-crafted specialty vegan cheezes. Using HPP technology is a real game-changer, not only for product freshness and longevity, but also for the logistical benefits as Feel Foods continues to expand throughout Canada and looks to expand into the USA. We will continue to grow our distribution online as well as in stores, now available in over 70 grocery stores and food services locations throughout British Columbia.”
The HPP process helps natural and organic foods and beverages safely extend shelf life without chemicals or heat treatment. It involves only very high pressures. Feel Foods said HPP is an environmentally-friendly process that assists producers, farmers, suppliers, and distributors to extend products' shelf life. HPP works well with pre-packaged products with high water activity and low air.
HPP is a cold pasteurization technique by which food products are exposed to extremely high pressure (300-600MPa / 43,500-87,000psi) transmitted by water. The pressure is uniformly transmitted regardless of the size and the geometry of the food products. The high pressure inactivates bacteria, viruses, yeasts, molds, and parasites in food. Flavor compounds and vitamins are not affected by HPP and the food retains its natural taste and texture.
Feel Foods’ 100% owned Black Sheep Vegan Cheeze products are available through multiple online marketplaces.
