With meat production on the rise—in fact tripling over the last four decades, according to the Worldwatch Institute—HPP (high-pressure processing) has proven itself not only to kill dangerous microbes, but also to extend shelf life by a factor of two to four times. Trouble is, with these merits, HPP meats tend to lose their color, which is a turnoff to some consumers. This has been especially an issue with ground beef, which tends to lose its red color after going through HPP. But other proteins are affected as well by color change, for example whole-muscle beef, pork and chicken.
JBTAvure, however, has solved that problem with new technology and is waiting for USDA approval in the U.S., though this new process has already been given the go-ahead in some foreign countries. The technology, invented by a third party and applied immediately to the meat before HPP, was so much what JBTAvure needed that it bought the entire company and its technology—lock, stock and barrel.