{"id":235725,"date":"2026-06-08T08:30:43","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T18:30:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=235725"},"modified":"2026-06-05T18:45:36","modified_gmt":"2026-06-06T04:45:36","slug":"high-pressure-food-processing-expanded","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2026\/06\/08\/high-pressure-food-processing-expanded\/","title":{"rendered":"High pressure food processing access expanded for local businesses"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
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Ulupono Fund at the Hawaiʻi<\/span> Community Foundation donates $25,000 to WVAPDC<\/abbr>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Local food entrepreneurs are getting a major boost to expand their products into large retail stores. A $25,000 grant from the Ulupono Fund at the Hawaiʻi<\/span> Community Foundation is lowering barriers for a dozen local businesses to use the state\u2019s first commercial-scale high pressure processing (HPP<\/abbr>) system.<\/p>\n

The cutting-edge food preservation technology is housed at Leeward Community College\u2019s Wahiaw\u0101 Value-Added Product Development Center<\/a> (WVAPDC<\/abbr>). It utilizes extremely high water pressure to eliminate harmful pathogens and spoilage microorganisms without heat, preservatives or additives. This unique process extends shelf life while fully preserving food freshness, flavor and nutritional quality.<\/p>\n

The funding subsidizes up to $3,000 per company to offset the costly validation testing required to verify that HPP<\/abbr>-treated products meet commercial food safety standards. These steep upfront costs often pose a significant barrier for small local producers looking to scale up production.<\/p>\n

“Hawaiʻi\u2019s<\/span> long-term sustainability depends on strong local food systems and the entrepreneurs who drive them,” said Keith DeMello, senior vice president of communications and external affairs at Ulupono Initiative. “Programs like this help local producers transform Hawaiʻi<\/span>-grown ingredients into value-added products that can reach more markets, creating new opportunities for farmers, food makers and our communities.”<\/p>\n