Cargill’s research efforts focused on making high-pressure processing commercially viable for ground beef patties. These efforts were inspired by the need to find an improved premium ground beef patty solution for customers. The end result is the doubling of shelf life, preservation of the beef's optimal flavor and diminishing bacteria that cause food borne illness and spoilage. It is an entirely natural process that does not use high temperatures, chemicals or irradiation, while retaining the nutrient value and freshness of the ground beef.
"The process enabling Cargill to produce Fressure patties is a technological breakthrough that allows us to provide our customers, as well as consumers, with a premium ground beef option that is superior, in a number of ways, to any in the marketplace today," said Brent Wolke, vice president for Cargill's Wichita, Kan.-based foodservice meat business. "Ground beef customers told us they wanted a product with a longer shelf-life that does not sacrifice the quality, flavor, texture and eating experience consumers pay for when they want a good hamburger.
“We were able to meet those objectives and achieve enhanced food-safety benefits by perfecting our process after years of research and development,” he added. “This is an example of Cargill's commitment to investing in advanced technologies at our processing plants, and our focus on food-safety innovation. This is a win-win for those who sell, prepare and eat burgers as part of their diet."
Cargill's Columbus, Neb., meat processing facility is producing Fressure ground beef patties.
"High-pressure processing of foods is a well-established treatment to mitigate contamination by harmful microbes such as Salmonella,E.coli O157: H7 andListeria, without adversely affecting the product's taste and quality," said Michael Doyle, Ph.D., professor at the Center for Food Safety, Univ.of Georgia. "I applaud Cargill's leadership in applying this technology to ground beef to raise the level of ground beef safety to a new industry standard."
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