{"id":218879,"date":"2025-07-21T14:17:25","date_gmt":"2025-07-22T00:17:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=218879"},"modified":"2026-06-05T17:49:55","modified_gmt":"2026-06-06T03:49:55","slug":"transformative-technology-support-for-food-entrepreneurs-spotlighted","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2025\/07\/21\/transformative-technology-support-for-food-entrepreneurs-spotlighted\/","title":{"rendered":"Transformative technology, support for food entrepreneurs spotlighted"},"content":{"rendered":"
Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]\n

\"SmilingMore than 100 food entrepreneurs, educators, and regulatory partners gathered at Leeward Community College\u2019s Wahiaw\u0101 Value-Added Product Development Center<\/a> (WVAPDC<\/abbr>) July 17\u201318, for Hawai\u02bbi<\/span>\u2019s first-ever High Pressure Processing (HPP<\/abbr>) Summit\u2014a landmark event showcasing cutting-edge food technology that is poised to elevate local food manufacturing.<\/p>\n

\"People<\/div>\n
\"Person<\/div>\n

\u201cThe first HPP<\/abbr> Summit at Leeward Community College marks a pivotal moment for Hawai\u02bbi<\/span>‘s agricultural and food industries. It was truly inspiring to witness the collaborative spirit among representatives from Hiperbaric, food regulation, product innovation, and existing businesses, alongside our valued partners,\u201d said Leeward CC<\/abbr> Chancellor Carlos Pe\u00f1aloza. \u201cThis collective effort is crucial as we address the urgent need for safe, scalable, Hawai\u02bbi<\/span>-made food products for both local consumption and export. Leeward Community College is proud to support local agriculture, and the very first HPP<\/abbr> machine in Hawai\u02bbi<\/span> perfectly complements our broader state vision for a more resilient and prosperous future.\u201d<\/p>\n

The summit featured live demonstrations of the Hiperbaric 55 machine at WVAPDC<\/abbr>, interactive panel discussions with local manufacturers who\u2019ve used the center\u2019s services, and a guided tour of the 33,000-square-foot facility. Sessions covered HPP<\/abbr>-compatible packaging, product development strategies and the regulatory landscape for Hawai\u02bbi<\/span>-based producers.<\/p>\n

\u201cAmazing! We got to test our products with the HPP<\/abbr> machine and have all of our food safety questions answered,\u201d said Micah Richards, manager of Mauka Meats. \u201cWe currently sell our bone broth and sausage products frozen, but the center\u2019s high pressure processing will extend our chilled refrigerated shelf-life 10 to 90 days. That\u2019s a game changer and would make us viable for local grocery stores.\u201d<\/p>\n

Accelerating innovation<\/h2>\n
\"People<\/div>\n
\"Dessert<\/div>\n

A highlight of the summit was the \u201cNavigating Hawai\u02bbi<\/span>\u2019s Food Safety Regulations\u201d session. Experts outlined lab validation requirements and the approval process for using HPP<\/abbr> technology in commercial food production\u2014helping entrepreneurs safely scale their operations.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis cutting-edge HPP<\/abbr> technology, which the legislature funded, will support WVAPDC<\/abbr> as an incubator for businesses across the state,\u201d said Sen. Donovan M. Dela Cruz. \u201cThis model of collaboration between education, industry and the state is exactly what regional economic development looks like.\u201d<\/p>\n

The WVAPDC<\/abbr> is assisting more than 1,000 local clients each year, and is poised to accelerate innovation and food security for the entire state.<\/p>\n

WVAPDC<\/abbr> Manager Chris Bailey added, \u201cWe don\u2019t just offer equipment\u2014we offer support at every stage, from concept to commercialization.\u201d<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_masonry_media_grid element_width=”3″ css=”” grid_id=”vc_gid:1753143069259-db6db446-fccc-10″ include=”218941,218940,218939,218928,218927,218938,218937,218936,218935,218934,218933,218932,218931,218930,218929″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Leeward CC<\/abbr> champions safe food preservation with High Pressure Processing Summit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":218939,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[951,65,1785],"class_list":["post-218879","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","tag-food","tag-leeward-community-college","tag-wahiawa-value-added-product-development-center","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t