Hummus maker dips into second HPP system

The company installed an Avure QFP-100L 600 model HPP system in May. Results so impressed company managers, they placed an order for a second, larger-capacity Avure 350L system less than two months later.

New business​

Interest in HPP technology moved the firm to open Hope Fresh, a unit dedicated to the technology, and become the exclusive Avure Technologies Inc. Certified Tolling Partner in the state. Hope Foods president Robbie Rech said the company has high hopes for the added system.

“We are very pleased to have the need for a second machine,​” he said. “The demand here in Colorado seems to be very strong, and we’re in a good position to meet that need. Also, machine No. 2 will provide the assurance of redundancy that makes food processors more comfortable​.”

Humble beginnings​

The firm’s Hope Hummus started off as small-batch organic hummus sold at local farmers’ markets. Rapid growth meant a need for longer shelf-life; after exploring other options, the company landed on HPP for its ability to fend off pathogens and spoilage while maintaining product integrity.

“HPP practically tripled the shelf-life of our Hope Hummus product line​,” said Morgan McArthur, Hope’s head of HPP business development. “With our launch into the East Coast this summer, it is the key to our growth into a national brand​.”

Contract services​

As a contract services provider, the Hope Fresh unit offers the same benefits to other food processors, helping to turn the Denver area into a natural and organic foods hub.

Shelf-life is always an issue in the organic arena,” McArthur said, adding that HPP creates product opportunities that other technologies can’t offer organic processors.

Additionally, McArthur said that Hope Hummus’s experience with HPP is causing other processors to stand up and take notice.

“When you talk to processors about the impact on their supply chain—higher batch production, fewer production days, longer shelf-life, wider distribution--HPP becomes very attractive, especially to a business that has been living within the limits of its manufacturing capabilities​,” she said. “We are looking forward to adding value to the local industry by helping them break those barriers and expand beyond the region​.”