Our Process
EverTender’s patented dual‑pasteurization process makes real meat and seafood shelf‑stable at room temperature without chemical preservatives or high salt. It uses standard cooking equipment plus a precisely controlled, post‑packaging hot‑water step (similar to sous vide) to deliver deep pathogen reduction while preserving moisture, texture, and nutrition.
Our process works with any protein — beef, poultry, pork, seafood, and eggs — and in almost any form: strips, sticks, snacks, chunks, or steaks. Instead of relying on extreme heat (as in canning) or heavy drying (as in jerky), we control water activity and time‑temperature so products stay safe, tender, and enjoyable to eat.
For lean, low‑fat proteins, we can optionally add our patented, all‑natural emulsion made with the same plant‑based ingredient breweries use to keep a good head of foam on beer. This emulsion helps create a stable moisture matrix that locks in juiciness and tenderness after cooking, especially in very lean cuts and seafood, while allowing the product to remain clean‑label and heart‑healthy.
Step 1
We start by trimming and portioning the meat or seafood for consistent thickness and even cooking. Products can be marinated or seasoned to any desired flavor profile, and the process works for steaks, strips, sticks, bites, or larger portions.
Step 2
For very lean or low‑fat proteins, we may optionally incorporate our patented, sunflower‑oil–based emulsion before cooking to maintain moisture. This emulsion uses a GRAS, beverage‑industry ingredient traditionally used to stabilize beer foam, repurposed here to help retain moisture and tenderness through cooking, light drying, and storage. It is not required for the safety of the process; it is an optional tool to enhance juiciness and mouthfeel, especially in low‑fat items like chicken breast or whitefish.
Step 3
Next, the product is cooked using standard equipment — such as a smokehouse, combi oven, or vacuum oven — to reach pasteurization temperatures that meet USDA and FDA lethality guidelines. During this step we also gently reduce water activity into a narrow, validated range that prevents microbial growth but keeps the product moist and tender, rather than hard and jerky‑dry.
Step 4
After the initial cook, products are cooled as needed and then vacuum sealed in high‑barrier pouches. This step removes oxygen, protects against recontamination, and prepares the product for our second pasteurization step.
Step 5
Sealed packages are then run through our patented post‑packaging pasteurization step: a precisely controlled hot‑water bath, similar to sous vide, with time and temperature combinations validated in microbial challenge studies. This second pasteurization delivers additional log reductions in pathogens after packaging, ensuring safety and stability throughout the full shelf life.