The main advantage of HPP making juice safer to consume lies in its ability to eliminate harmful microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, and pathogens, without the need for heat. By subjecting the juice to extremely high pressure, HPP effectively kills up to 99.999% of these harmful microorganisms, reducing the risk of foodborne illnesses. This ensures that the juice is safe for consumers while maintaining its fresh taste and nutritional value.

Understanding the HPP Process

HPP is a crucial step that extends the shelf life of juice and eliminates up to 99.999% of microorganisms. Here’s how it works:

1. Raw juice is extracted using a juice press or other juicing equipment, then bottled in plastic containers. (It’s important to note that HPP isn’t used to make the juice itself but is a secondary process after juicing).
   
2. The plastic bottles are placed into a large chamber filled with water, where they are pressurized to up to 85,000 PSI. To put this pressure into perspective, if you were to attach a rock to a bottle and drop it to the deepest part of the ocean, the Mariana Trench, the pressure would be only about one-fifth of the force created by an HPP machine.
   
   
3. The pressure is maintained for a minute or several minutes, depending on the settings, and then the pressure is released.
   
   
4. Once the bottles exit the chamber, they contain almost no live microorganisms and can now last between 30 to 45 days, compared to raw juice, which typically only lasts 3 to 5 days.