HUB Platform Plays Critical Role in Innovative Research Studies Designed to Increase Understanding of and Develop Methods for the Prevention of Serious Food-Borne Diseases Caused by E. coli and Listeria
SOUTH EASTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / June 19, 2019 / Pressure BioSciences, Inc. (OTCQB: PBIO) ("PBI" or the "Company"), a leader in the development and sale of broadly enabling, pressure-based instruments, consumables, and platform technology solutions to the worldwide life sciences industry, today announced that its HUB platform of unique, ultra-high pressure instruments was featured in three presentations at the world's largest annual food science conference, the Institute of Food Technologists ("IFT"), which was held June 2-5, 2019 in New Orleans, LA. The presentations reported the use of PBI's HUB440 and HUB880 Explorer systems to advance knowledge and understanding of the effects of high pressure processing ("HPP") on serious food-borne pathogens in liquid food products and ground meat, and on the decontamination of such pathogens.
Food-borne illnesses are a common, costly, and expensive public health problem. The Centers for Disease Control ("CDC") estimates that 1 in 6 Americans will get sick from contaminated food or beverages annually, and that 3,000 people will die from their illness. The U.S. Department of Agriculture ("USDA") estimates that the cost of foodborne illnesses in the USA is more than $15.6 billion each year (https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/cdc-and-food-safety.html).
HPP subjects food products to a high level of pressure (43,500-87,000 psi) - transmitted via water - to inactivate food-borne pathogens. Pressures above 58,000 psi at ambient temperature (or lower) can inactivate bacteria, viruses, yeasts, molds, and parasites present in food, which helps to significantly improve food safety. HPP offers the additional benefit of longer shelf-life without chemical additives or high heat treatment. With HPP, freshness, sensory and nutritional attributes are maintained throughout shelf-life. HPP is an accepted food processing method by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Dr. Aliyar Fouladkhah, Assistant Professor at Tennessee State University ("TSU") and Director of the Public Health Microbiology Laboratory ("PHM Lab") at TSU, and his team showed in a series of studies that PBI's ultra-high pressure equipment can be used to dramatically reduce common and well-known food-borne disease causing bacteria, such as E.coli 0157 and Listeria monocytogenes, in the presence of foods such as apple cider and chopped meat. Controlled experiments such as these may provide model systems that could result in significantly better quality and safer foods.
Dr. Fouladkhah commented: "Members of my public health microbiology research group and I were able to conduct and present results from our cutting-edge, innovative research projects to the most respected international food science conference thanks to the consistency, accuracy, and precision of PBI's HUB high pressure units and the collaborative endeavors with PBI engineers and research scientists."
Dr. Nathan Lawrence is a senior technical consultant to PBI. Dr. Lawrence holds advanced degrees in food microbiology and molecular genetics. Dr. Lawrence said: "PBI's bench-top ultra-high pressure HUB equipment offers great promise in HPP food applications. The special design features in the pressure and temperature control of the equipment enable scientists to safely study a myriad of food-borne pathogens. The bench-top system enables basic food safety research in the laboratory without requiring extremely expensive and large manufacturing scale HPP equipment. I believe there are many hundreds if not more academic, government, and industry laboratories that will now be able to help in the development of new methods for safe and affordable food processing with the HUB high pressure equipment."
Richard T. Schumacher, President and CEO of PBI, commented: "The need for safer food is a world-wide concern. In recognition, the United Nations proclaimed June 7, 2019 as the first World Food Safety Day. HPP currently plays an important role in food safety: although this unique process is barely 20 years old, it has nonetheless already grown into an estimated $20 billion market. By 2026, the projected market size of the high pressure processing food market could reach approximately $42 billion (Visiongain, 2016). We believe that presentations such as Dr. Fouladkhah's at this year's IFT Conference will help generate awareness of our new, powerful yet affordable bench-top HUB family of products in the food industry, government, military, and academic laboratory environment, and that this added exposure will result in an increased demand for our HUB equipment in this large and growing market."
Institute of Food Technologists ("IFT")
Since 1939, IFT has been advancing the application of science across the global food production and supply system, by creating a dynamic forum where individuals from industry, government, and academia spanning more than 90 countries can collaborate, learn, and grow, transforming scientific knowledge into innovative solutions for the benefit of people around the world. The IFT Annual Meeting is the world's largest annual food science event, with over 20,000 food industry professionals in attendance.
About Pressure BioSciences, Inc.
Pressure BioSciences, Inc. (OTCQB: PBIO) is a leader in the development and sale of innovative, broadly enabling, pressure-based solutions for the worldwide life sciences industry. Our products are based on the unique properties of both constant (i.e., static) and alternating (i.e., pressure cycling technology, or PCT) hydrostatic pressure. PCT is a patented enabling technology platform that uses alternating cycles of hydrostatic pressure between ambient and ultra-high levels to safely and reproducibly control bio-molecular interactions (e.g., cell lysis, biomolecule extraction). Our primary focus is in the development of PCT-based products for biomarker and target discovery, drug design and development, biotherapeutics characterization and quality control, soil & plant biology, forensics, and counter-bioterror applications. Additionally, major new market opportunities have emerged in the use of our pressure-based technologies in the following areas: (1) the use of our recently acquired, patented technology from BaroFold, Inc. (the "BaroFold" technology) to allow entry into the bio-pharma contract services sector, and (2) the use of our recently-patented, scalable, high-efficiency, pressure-based Ultra Shear Technology ("UST") platform to (i) create stable nanoemulsions of otherwise immiscible fluids (e.g., oils and water) and to (ii) prepare higher quality, homogenized, extended shelf-life or room temperature stable low-acid liquid foods that cannot be effectively preserved using existing non-thermal technologies.
Forward Looking Statements
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Investor Contacts:
Richard T. Schumacher, President and CEO (508) 230-1828 (T)
Bradford A. Young, PhD., MBA, Sr. VP and CCO (508) 230-1829 (F)
SOURCE: Pressure BioSciences, Inc.