Winston-Salem, NC - Kevin Forrest knows we are all entitled to food safety—so we can live in a world where the food we consume is safe, clean, and trustworthy. Food preservation matters. Fresh foods and juices, in particular, are highly susceptible to microbial contamination and spoilage, making innovative safety solutions essential.

As the food industry continues to evolve, technologies that extend shelf life without compromising quality are in high demand. One such innovation is High-Pressure Processing (HPP), a true game changer that enhances product safety while preserving taste, freshness, and nutritional value.

Thanks to the leadership and vision of Kevin and his company Bevara High Pressure Processing Tolling Services, food safety is advancing in meaningful ways. By expanding access to HPP technology, Bevara is helping manufacturers deliver safer, longer-lasting products and empowering consumers with greater confidence in the food they choose every day.

Bevara High-Pressure Processing Tolling Services is a newly established facility in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, specializing in High-Pressure Processing (HPP) technology. This advanced, non-thermal process uses high isostatic pressure to inactivate harmful microorganisms and enzymes—without heat—allowing food products to achieve significantly extended shelf life while preserving their original taste, color, and nutritional value.

As the first HPP tolling facility of its kind in North Carolina, Bevara fills a critical gap in the region’s food-processing infrastructure. The facility supports food and beverage manufacturers throughout the Southeast by providing comprehensive services, including HPP tolling, packaging, labeling, cold storage, and integrated logistics solutions.

Bevara specializes in High-Pressure Processing (HPP)—a non-thermal food safety technology that uses extreme cold water pressure to eliminate harmful pathogens while preserving taste, color, and nutrition.

As an example, explains Kevin, a fresh juice made with spinach and kale typically has a pH of around 4 and will only last 2–3 days without pasteurization. When that same product is brought to Bevara, it enters the facility at the same pH level and is placed into baskets that are loaded into a pressure vessel.

The vessel is filled with cold water, sealed on both ends, and pressure is applied—up to 87,000 pounds per square inch—for approximately three minutes. During this process, the product is exposed to isostatic pressure, which inactivates pathogens such as E. coli and Listeria without compromising the product’s integrity.

Once the pressure is released, the product emerges with the same taste, color, and nutritional value—but with two critical differences. It has now been fully pathogen-inactivated and Its shelf life can be extended up to 120 days.

This process effectively “bullet-proofs” food when applied correctly, making it one of the safest food preservation methods available today.

Bevara’s mission is to increase access to safer, cleaner, and longer-lasting food products while helping manufacturers bring high-quality, minimally processed offerings to market efficiently and affordably.

Bevara is a high-pressure processing tolling facility that provides state-of-the-art HPP equipment and services to food and beverage manufacturers. By bringing this advanced technology to North Carolina, Bevara is helping introduce safer, cleaner, and longer-lasting food products to the region and beyond.

Raised in a fourth-generation food service distribution family, Mr. Forrest developed an early and lasting connection to the food industry. His professional background includes food service distribution and business ownership, with deep operational experience across the supply chain. Although his family business was sold in 2016, his passion for innovation in food never waned.

While implementing an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system at Village Juice, Kevin was introduced to High-Pressure Processing technology. The impact and potential of HPP immediately resonated with him, inspiring him to enter what remains a highly specialized and rapidly growing niche within the food industry. That vision ultimately led to the founding of Bevara High-Pressure Processing Tolling Services.

Bevara is scheduled to be fully operational by the end of 2026.

Kevin is deeply committed to helping consumers gain access to safer, healthier, and cleaner food. He believes awareness of HPP technology remains limited, even among manufacturers, despite its ability to open doors to green-label, minimally processed products at an affordable cost—without disrupting existing business models.

Currently, there are very few independent HPP tolling providers in the United States, with Universal Pure being one of the largest operators in the space. Bevara aims to help close that gap by expanding access to this technology for food, beverage, raw food, and even pet food manufacturers—sectors that face increasing safety and regulatory challenges.

Food has been part of Kevin's family legacy for generations. His mission is rooted in the belief that food should never be used as a weapon—and that clean, healthy, and accessible food should be readily available to everyone. Thanks to Kevin’s leadership and the work of Bevara, we are closer than ever to that vision becoming a reality.

Don’t miss his upcoming podcast episodes with Jim and Doug to learn more about how he’s helping transform food safety and the future of what we eat.

For more information, please visit www.bevarahpp.com