Test plant for sugar reduction in juices

GEA is working with Israeli start-up Better Juice to help manufacturers reduce the sugar content of their beverages. It is doing so by installing new equipment — the GEA Better Juice Sugar Converter Skid, pictured — at its Ahaus Test Center that will conduct product tests. The two companies inked a partnership deal in 2021.

The equipment uses an enzymatic process that can help to remove up to 80% of fruit juices, concentrates and mixtures. In a bioreactor, the sugars in these products are converted to prebiotic, non-digestible molecules that help intestinal flora.

“We can now collaborate with our customers at the Test Center to strike the ideal balance between a sweet note and reduced sugar content,” said Gali Yarom, co-founder and joint CEO of Better Juice.

Companies will be able to receive support and guidance from GEA’s specialist engineers and Better Juice’s microbiologists, and the facility at Ahaus will provide analytical lab services.

“It’s often necessary to initially demystify innovative solutions like the Better Juice process. That’s why it’s all the more important to make the case for the technology with manufacturers in person,” said Sascha Wesely, who leads the Non-Alcoholic Beverages business at GEA.

“The Ahaus trials help us optimise process efficiency right from the outset. By running scalable tests under real-life conditions, we significantly cut the time to market.”

Image credit: GEA