High Pressure Processing (HPP) equipment for large beverage productions

Project Information

BEVSTREAM

Grant agreement ID: 651054

DOI

10.3030/651054

Project closed

EC signature date 3 October 2014

Start date 1 November 2014

End date 30 April 2015

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine, maritime and inland water research, and the bioeconomy

Total cost

€ 71 429,00

EU contribution

€ 50 000,00

Coordinated by

HIPERBARIC SA
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - BEVSTREAM (High Pressure Processing (HPP) equipment for large beverage productions)

Reporting period: 2014-11-01 to 2015-04-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Hiperbaric is a Spanish SME leader in the designing, manufacturing and commercialization of High Pressure Processing (HPP) machines on an industrial scale. HPP is an innovative processing technology for many types of foods (meat, seafood, vegetables, fruit products…) with an important growing potential over the traditional techniques such as thermal pasteurization. This non thermal process, also called Cold Pressure Technology, inactivates microorganisms thanks to pressures up to 600 MPa (6000 bar or 87,000 psi), increasing food safety and shelf-life, keeping flavor, nutrients and product freshness.
Phase 1 of Bevstream project has consisted on the elaboration of a feasibility report regarding a new business line to be developed by Hiperbaric: the commercialization of highly productive HPP machines to boost the penetration of HPP technology in important markets such as the beverage market (1000 billion liters in 2013) that requires very high productivity levels per machine. Hiperbaric’s HPP innovation will mean increasing productivity, lowering processing costs and energy consumption and facilitating the installation and integration of HPP technology within beverage production lines.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

To elaborate the feasibility assessment several aspects have been taken into account to ensure the viability of the new business, to estimate the resources required to implement it and to quantify the existing business opportunity and the potential impact in the company and its customers. The feasibility report includes a business plan and covers technical, IPR, market and economical issues. The main outcomes of the work done during phase 1 can be summarized as it is technically feasible, freedom to operate is guaranteed and several market segments have been identified within the huge potential market.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The positive results obtained in the abovementioned phase 1 have led Hiperbaric to apply for the next call in SME Instrument Phase 2 in order to take advantage of the great business opportunity that will increase significantly Hiperbaric turnover and staff in a relatively short period of time. Twenty-four months’ time have been estimated for phase 2 implementation and business take off is scheduled for early 2018, when the new product will be ready to be commercialized.

Hiperbaric HPP machine.