When you hear “hyperbaric chamber,” you might think of divers with the bends. But in the food world, a Hiperbaric chamber becomes a way to extend the life of food products.
For example, ʻUlu hummus might have a shelf life of a week, but when treated under high pressure it can then be sold for export.
The Wahiawā Value-Added Product Development Center will debut a webinar this Friday to share what this Hiperbaric machine can do for a small business.
HPR recently took a tour of the new facility, which opened its doors six months ago. The big facility is built on land under the control of the state Agriculture Development Corporation and operates under Leeward Community College.
There are wet kitchens and dry kitchens. It's stocked with state-of-the-art equipment areas for bottling and labeling, and commercial fryers and ovens — even a machine that can peel 80 pounds of potatoes in three minutes.
LCC Chancellor Carlos Peñaloza and state Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz explained how someone with a product idea can cut through development red tape and get it to market. Peñaloza said a 12-week course is also offered at the facility for entrepreneurs at all stages.
"You could have a business that's already in the ABC Stores, and so they're looking for the next level — like you could have someone that you're selling out of the trunk of their car. And so because everyone's in a different place, we don't want to put someone through a four-year program. The 12 weeks, and then through consulting and hands-on engagement, will get them to the next phase," Peñaloza said.
Approximately 60 people have gone through classes at the facility since last year. Fifteen were able to showcase their products at the Made in Hawaiʻi Festival. Some of the products are already on the shelves at Foodland and ABC Stores.
"This helps you kind of figure out packaging, accounting, marketing, social media, Department of Health requirements potential for export with DBEDT. So this really is going to help entrepreneurs learn it faster, so we can scale them up," Dela Cruz told HPR.
The larger vision is to help develop Central Oʻahu as an agricultural hub and boost food production and food security. The state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism is dovetailing its effort to increase exports and diversify Hawaiʻi's economy.
"DBEDT is going to start to work with the community college on specific seminars, how to do business in Japan, what you're going to need, what kind of regulation, channels of distribution, how to deal with the Japanese retailer, how to understand their palate," Dela Cruz said.
Peñaloza said that after engaging with similar centers internationally and nationally, the Wahiawā Value-Added Product Development Center is the best facility he's seen.
"And it has equipment that is unique to the state of Hawaiʻi," he added.
Dela Cruz said Phase Two of the vision includes a facility in Whitmore Village to expand warehouse space for refrigerated and dry goods.
A webinar about the new Hiperbaric machine and how it can help small businesses will be held virtually this Friday at 10 a.m. For more information click here.
This interview aired on The Conversation on Oct. 16, 2024. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
