Project description
High-power ultrasound technology for honey
Often referred to as granulation, honey crystallisation is a natural phenomenon where liquid hоnеу becomes a ѕеmі-ѕоlіd wіth grаnulаr соmроѕіtіоn. This unavoidable tendency is a serious problem that affects honey marketing, requiring heating in many cases – a process detrimental to the quality and healthy properties of honey. The EU-funded project LIQUAM uses high-power ultrasound to reduce the content of sugar crystals in honey without affecting its beneficial enzymes. With LIQUAM, clients will be able to sell premium quality honey with a 15-25 % increase in price, thus ensuring a return-on-investment within the first year of operation.
Objective
Crystallization is a natural phenomenon that takes place in honey in few weeks after extraction, caused by its high concentration in sugar crystals. Such crystallised honey becomes opaque and semi-solid. This unavoidable tendency is a serious problem that severely affects honey marketing due to handling issues and because most consumers only purchase liquid honey due to the widespread wrong belief that crystallized honey is spoiled or adulterated. Consequently, retail honey is heated to 80ºC for delaying crystallization +12 months post-processing and facilitate packaging. However, this thermal treatment has been proved to be detrimental to the quality and healthy properties of honey, since it losses its desirable heat sensitive enzymes and valuable antioxidants, therefore losing the abundant medicinal properties associated with it. In response to consumers’ demands for fresh and healthier food, a clear need exists in honey industry for a cost-effective non-thermal processing alternative. Sonicat System has developed a disruptive patented system, based on the use of High-Power Ultrasounds, which allows reducing the content of sugar crystals up to pasteurization levels (0.3%), without impacting on enzymes, pH, conductivity, nor Hydroxyl-Methyl-Furfural concentration, a key indicator globally used to measure honey’s quality. Our skilled team has invested more than 5 years to develop the functional prototype (allows processing up to 100kg/h) which has been validated during months at clients’ premises. We were awarded with a SMEInstrument Phase1, which allowed us to carry out the feasibility study. We are applying to Phase2 to scale-up LIQUAM reactor to industrial rates, while improving the electronics and its usability. With LIQUAM, our clients will be able to sell premium quality honey with a 15-25% increase in price, thus ensuring a return-on-investment in 1st year of operation. We expect to have €17.7 million turnover by 2024 and 1.62% of our available market.
Fields of science
Keywords
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
SME-2 - SME instrument phase 2Coordinator
08907 HOSPITALET DE LLOBREGAT
Spain
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.