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Hiperbaric, the global leader in High Pressure Processing (HPP) technology, has announced that American Pasteurisation Company (APC) has installed a new Hiperbaric 525 system at its Milwaukee facility. The installation marks a significant capacity expansion for APC, the first company in the United States to offer commercial HPP tolling services, as it moves to meet surging demand for clean-label, minimally processed foods and beverages.

The investment underscores the growing reliance on HPP technology as a critical tool for food safety and shelf-life extension without the use of heat or chemical preservatives.

The Tolling Model: Scaling Without CapEx

For food and beverage manufacturers, APC’s expansion represents a vital resource for scaling production without heavy capital expenditure (CapEx). Through the HPP tolling model, brands can utilise APC’s industrial-grade equipment on a fee-for-service basis.

This allows emerging and mid-market brands to leverage the benefits of HPP—such as extended shelf life, pathogen inactivation, and clean-label declarations—while avoiding the high upfront cost of purchasing proprietary machinery. APC cites strong growth from brands scaling from regional to national distribution as a key driver for the new installation.

Integrated Operations in Milwaukee

The new system is located at APC's Milwaukee production hub, a facility selected for its strategic logistics density. Unlike standalone tolling centres, this site offers a tightly integrated workflow designed to streamline the supply chain. Services include:

• On-site food manufacturing and filling.

• Cold storage and inventory management.

• Packaging, labelling, and kitting.

• Distribution support.

This "under one roof" approach reduces logistical friction and cold-chain risks, offering a turnkey solution for categories seeing rapid growth, such as ready-to-eat baby foods, dips, proteins, and refrigerated beverages.

Operational Efficiency and Technology

Felipe Vasquez, Vice President of Operations and General Manager at APC, highlighted the operational efficiencies of the new unit.

"A significant factor in our decision to select the Hiperbaric 525 was its intuitive training portal... reducing training time and operator dependency," Vasquez stated. "The platform's operator-centric design minimises manual intervention, improves execution consistency, and supports reliable throughput with lower overall operational effort."

Market Context

As a participating member of the Hiperbaric HPP Global Tolling Network, APC continues to set the standard for third-party processing. Rob Peregrina, Hiperbaric USA Director, noted that the expansion will enhance APC's capacity to deliver the "food safety, freshness, and clean-label solutions that today's food brands demand."