Hormel Foods today revealed that it will no longer rely on chemical preservatives like sodium lactate, potassium lactate, and sodium diacetate to process its Bread Ready sliced meats line. Instead, the company will use a high-pressure system it calls True Taste, which uses controlled water pressure to eradicate bacteria and inhibit the growth of the organisms that cause spoilage.
The system works like this: A sealed Bread Ready package is placed in the proprietary TrueTaste chamber and then surrounded by water. Extreme pressure is then applied to the package, breaking down bacteria and pathogens while maintaining the meat’s integrity.
The absence of chemical preservatives yields a “cleaner, fresher flavor,” according to Hormel. The company also credits the TrueTaste with doubling the shelf life of the Bread Ready line. “TrueTaste gives our product a truer meat flavor, allows it stay fresh longer, and provides a greater level of food safety,” says Carla Dougherty, a senior product manager at Hormel.
Though Hormel has invested a significant amount of capital in the development and implementation of TrueTaste, the cost will not be passed on to the customer, says Dougherty.