Processor Perdue Farms is installing ultra-high pressure to destroy food-borne pathogens in the production of its prepared poultry products.

Supplied by Flow International, the "Fresher Under Pressure" system is "a promising technology to produce safer products while adhering to our customers' expectations of freshness and quality,'' said Perdue Farms chairman Jim Perdue. "The technology will enhance food safety without affecting flavor, texture or nutritional value." Perdue Farms did not indicate what plants will receive the equipment.

Flow announced in January that it had installed the same system at Hormel Food Corp.'s Austin, Minn., pork plant for treating prepared ham products.

In July, Flow formed a partnership with Kraft Foods, Procter and Gamble, the U.S. Army Soldier Systems Command and the Illinois Institute of Technology's National Center for Food Safety and Technology to jointly develop ultrahigh pressure technology for shelf-stable foods. The three-year, $2.3 million project is part of the Department of Defense's Dual Use Science and Technology Program.