Leeward Community College is hosting two unique workshops at the Wahiaw¨¡ Value-Added Product Development Center (WVAPDC), home to the only High Pressure Processing (HPP) machine in Â鶹´«Ã½.
A public event on July 17 and a University of Â鶹´«Ã½ Community College summit on July 18 will showcase how UH, local producers and entrepreneurs can collaborate with WVAPDC to build a more resilient local food system using state-of-the-art preservation and processing technology.
Â鶹´«Ã½ High Pressure Processing Summit—July 17
Open to the UH community and the public, the state¡¯s first HPP Summit will introduce attendees to this breakthrough preservation method that enhances food safety, extends shelf life and supports development of minimally processed, preservative-free products.
Presented with global HPP leader Hiperbaric, the event includes live demos, packaging and regulatory sessions, business case studies, and networking with industry experts.
“As the only facility in Â鶹´«Ã½ equipped with an HPP machine, we are thrilled to open our doors and share how this technology can revolutionize the way our food is made, packaged and preserved,” said Chris Bailey, WVAPDC manager.
Speakers include Bailey, Leeward CC Chancellor Carlos Pe?aloza, State Sen. Donovan M. Dela Cruz, and Hiperbaric experts Mario Gonz¨¢lez-Angulo and Daniela Soto Castro.
“This summit highlights Leeward¡¯s commitment to equipping Â鶹´«Ã½¡¯s food innovators with state-of-the-art technology that enables them to expand into new markets with an extended shelf-life and premium offering,” said Pe?aloza.
Tickets for July 17 are $100 before June 15 and $200 after. .
UH Community College Product Development Summit—July 18
This invite-only session for UH Community College faculty, staff and leadership will focus on how other campuses across Â鶹´«Ã½ will support value-added food innovation initiatives with educational programs and processing equipment, with WVAPDC as a resource hub for the larger effort.
It includes sessions on food concepts, equipment, regulatory pathways and shared resources.
A notable example is ʻ?ina to M¨¡keke—a 12-week food business course that equips participants with the skills to scale home recipes into market-ready food products. To date, 75 local small businesses have completed the program, and many have expanded their locally sourced products to shelves in major retailers.
—by Devon Bedoya