Filet Américain, high-pressure-processed raw beef

High-pressure processed Filet Américain provides optimum food safety without compromising texture and taste.

Juicy with a good bite and an intense taste of meat; this is what makes Filet Américain so popular among people around the world. However, this raw beef dish, also known as Steak Tartare, needs special handling and processing due to its potential to cause serious food infection. But the whole point of this dish is that it is eaten raw. Zwanenberg Food Group has found a solution to this dilemma, by applying high-pressure processing technology to the production of Filet Américain.

The treatment - which uses very little energy and water - inactivates all the micro-organisms present in the raw beef, but leaves its characteristic ‘raw’ texture and taste intact. Food products are loaded into a cylinder and subsequently in a vessel, which is filled with water. While pressing the final amount water into the vessel – via large pumps – the water column is compressed by 10%. This causes extremely-high pressure (up to 6000 bar) all over the cylinder, which inactivates all micro-organisms at both the inside and outside of the packaging.

The HPP process is suitable for all kinds of fresh products which cannot be heated or reheated, such as sliced meats.

High-pressure-processed Filet Américain is already sold via online channels, and will soon be available via high-street retailers too.