Eliminating bacteria risk whilst retaining raw pet food’s nutrients and texture

Holmach Ltd are proud to update that their technology partner UHDE has recently completed work on the high pressure processing (HPP) of raw pet food with outstanding results. The non-thermal nature of HPP means that the product retains its raw state together with nutrients and texture, whilst eliminating the risk of listeria and salmonella and other entero-bacteria.

Food safety continues to be at the top-of-mind for the pet food industry as there has been a number of FSA recalls where raw pet food has had listeria or salmonella contamination. Apart from risking health to both dogs and their human servants, public confidence in both brand and presentation method are irrevocably damaged. As a developing market, HPP is a simple process to eliminate risk without cooking.

HPP is ideal for pasteurising high quality foods without thermal damage, ideal for high value foods such as seafoods, meats, beverages, sauces and soups as well as premium pet foods. The packed product is loaded into cassettes, which are then introduced into a pressure chamber working up to 6,000 Bar. The pathogenic bacteria are destroyed by rupturing the cell walls, without damaging the overall organoleptic properties of the product, which is then unloaded and sent to final packaging.

Alongside the elimination of illness-causing bacteria and maintaining raw state properties, up to ten times the normal shelf life is achievable. The process is also designed to create premium products that taste very different from other processed foods, which like “normal” sterilisation, require no preservatives to achieve this preservation. 

Based near Dortmund in Germany, UHDE has produced high-pressure pumps to go with their chambers, since the 1930s with capacities of the vessels ranging from 60 to 750 litres. Other recent installations have been completed in Canada for shellfish such as lobster, in Germany for meats and most recently on fruit purees and juices for an Australian customer.  This month UHDE in partnership with DIL opened a new HPP Tolling facility to offer a Europe wide solution to those wanting to develop and market products.