LiDestri Food & Beverage to Offer High Pressure Processing Tolling Services in New York State
FAIRPORT, NY (July 21, 2015) – LiDestri Food & Beverage announces the purchase of a High Pressure Processing (HPP) asset. LiDestri plans to install and operate a tolling operation at its Lee Road facility in Greece, NY, under the name Finger Lakes Fresh Press. LiDestri has partnered with Hiperbaric USA, to purchase their newest and largest machine (the 525L), which is to be commissioned in November of this year.
HPP is a method of food and beverage processing where product is subjected to elevated pressures to achieve microbial inactivation and to extend product shelf-life of refrigerated products. HPP can inactivate harmful food and beverage bacteria such as listeria, salmonella and E.coli.
For consumers, HPP has advantages over traditional pasteurization processes that use heat. HPP retains the fresh characteristics of food and beverage products by avoiding thermal degradation resulting in fresh taste, better nutrient retention, and improved texture and appearance.
“We are collaborating with various producers to identify food and beverage products that will benefit from HPP. Through this innovative approach, these companies will be able to offer customers great tasting products and extended shelf-life without the use of heat or chemical preservatives”, said Frank Cavallaro, VP of Research and Development for LiDestri Food and Beverage.
Finger Lakes Fresh Press will operate as an independent, wholly owned subsidiary of LiDestri Foods, Inc., and represents the first operation of its kind in the Western New York Region. “We are excited to be expanding our business offerings to include HPP for refrigerated items. This new capability will enhance our position as a premier manufacturer of food and beverage products. In addition, this technology will provide a platform to LiDestri to further expand our manufacturing services in the fresh segment. We have already begun planning for Phase II, where additional HPP capacity will be added,” said Alan Davis, VP of Business Development and Contract Manufacturing at LiDestri Food and Beverage. Davis added, “The Empire State Development agency displayed proactive business support for the initial $6,000,000 investment which, in total, is projected to add 29 jobs over five years at LiDestri’s Lee Road manufacturing complex.”
About LiDestri Food& Beverage
LiDestri Food & Beverage is a premier private label and contract manufacturer of food, beverage, and spirits, supplying over 40 million cases of product each year. LiDestri’s core competencies include producing aseptically filled, hot filled, cold filled and retorted products in glass, plastic and Tetra Pak containers for both retail and food service customers. Established more than 40 years ago, LiDestri now operates five SQF level 3 certified state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities which are located in Fairport, NY; Rochester, NY; Fresno, CA, Lansdale, PA; and Pennsauken, NJ. For more information, visit www.LiDestriFoods.com
