Webinar: HPP's Role in Raw Pet Food Safety Amid Avian Influenza Concerns

With rising concerns around avian influenza in the food supply chain, raw pet food manufacturers are facing increased scrutiny while working to maintain both safety and nutritional integrity. High Pressure Processing (HPP) is emerging as one of the most effective technologies available to help mitigate pathogen risk and extend shelf life— without additives or compromising the benefits of raw nutrition. Join Rui Queiros, Ph.D., HPP Food Applications Specialist at Hiperbaric, and Dr. Mary-Grace Danao, Research Associate Professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, for a science-driven overview of how HPP works, what current research says about its viral inactivation capabilities (including insights related to avian influenza strains), and how it fits into a modern pet food safety strategy. Whether you're evaluating HPP for the first time or optimizing an existing process, this webinar offers timely, actionable insights for your team.

This webinar will broadcast at 10:00 AM CDT (Chicago) / 3:00 PM GMT (London) / 10:00 PM CST (Beijing).

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

1. Achieve up to 5-log pathogen reduction while preserving nutritional value
2. Significantly extend product shelf life without preservatives
3. Address emerging viral concerns, including avian influenza (based on existing research for related strains)
4. Support raw nutrition standards pet owners increasingly demand

This webinar is sponsored by Hiperbaric and presented by Petfood Industry.

Speaker Information:

Dr. Mary-Grace Danao, Research Associate Professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Dr. Mary-Grace Danao is a Research Associate Professor in the Department of Food Science and Technology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). Her research interests are in the broad area of value-added processing, focusing on high pressure processing (HPP), high pressure homogenization and freeze drying. Since 2017, she has coordinated the HPP & Engineering Services Laboratory of The Food Processing Center at UNL. She and her team conduct microbial challenge, process optimization, process validation and shelf-life studies that have helped U.S. and Nebraska food manufacturers comply with USDA FSIS and FDA food safety regulations and bring their products to market. At UNL, Dr. Danao teaches a class in Pet Food Manufacturing to support the new undergraduate minor program in Food Technology for Companion Animals at UNL. 

Rui Queirós, Ph. D, HPP Food Applications Specialist at Hiperbaric

Rui Queirós is an Applications and Food Processing Specialist at Hiperbaric since 2019, where he provides technical and scientific support to clients, as well as participates in R&D projects related to High Pressure Processing (HPP). He completed his B.Sc. (2009) and M.Sc. (2011) in Food Biotechnology and his Ph.D. in Food Science and Technology and Nutrition (2020) at the University of Aveiro, Portugal. The focus of his studies was the effects of high pressure on biopolymers, mainly on the technological properties of proteins. He also worked as a researcher at the same university for over three years, with an emphasis on HPP applications. Overall, he has more than 8 years of experience working with HPP and is author or co-author of more than 30 scientific papers and technical book chapters related to this technology.