Procedure
for Scheduling Sample Runs
at the HPP Laboratory!
If you are planning to have the HPP Laboratory at Virginia
Tech process samples for you, here are some guidelines on the procedure to
follow:
- If you already know the parameters (pressure, hold
time, desired start or end temperature) at which you wish to have your
samples processed, already
have acceptable packaging and don’t need any additional testing,
call or e-mail our laboratory manager Laura Douglas (540-231-6325; hpp@vt.edu)
and
she will work with you to find a date and time that is available and convenient.
Once the schedule is set, you can ship the samples to the lab. We will
process them, and then ship them back to you within 24-36 hours of processing.
- If you do not know what processing parameters should be used, or have
packaging concerns that must be addressed, call or e-mail the HPP Laboratory
and we can
help you determine what is best for your product. Once these questions
are resolved, we can schedule a date and time for the processing, and then
proceed
as above.
- Larger projects also start with a call or e-mail to Laura Douglas and
generally require more detailed planning, including the following steps:
- Non-disclosure agreement (NDA): if an NDA is desired,
the HPP Laboratory has this
generic NDA available. Please download this if desired.
Note: This is a Microsoft Word document. Alternately, outside companies
can submit their own NDA to us. Our legal department
will work
with your
corporate attorneys to iron out the details.
- Project design: By taking
into account the product to be processed, any packaging issues, the
desired goals (shelf-life extension, product
safety,
etc.), and any additional testing you want performed, we can begin
to outline the project for you.
- Detailed proposal: A comprehensive
proposal that can be revised to fully describe the scope of the project
and specify who is responsible
for each
portion of the work will be created. This proposal will also include
an estimate for
the cost of the work.
- Some groups only want us to do the HPP portion of the work.
Some want us to do some additional testing (physical properties,
sensory
properties,
shelf-life
studies, microbial studies, etc.) but also want some of the
product sent back to them so they can do further analyses. And some
companies
want
us to do both
the HPP and all additional testing. We can accommodate any
of these arrangements.
- We also have the capability to make some
products here in our processing and packaging laboratory if that
is desired.
- We will work with you to customize the project
to your needs.
- Once the proposal is acceptable to both sides,
we can begin the research.
When you are ready to begin your HPP project, give us a call and we can
make it happen.
NOTE: If you are interested in bringing your samples to the HPP Laboratory
and taking a tour, we can accommodate this as well. Just mention it when you
call the Lab to schedule your processing.
