Pasteurization allows liquids such as dairy products and fruit juices to spoil less quickly. To accomplish this, the liquids must be briefly heated to a high temperature, killing the harmful bacteria. A downside to this is also that heating changes the taste and causes the product to lose nutritional value. In addition, heating costs a lot of and expensive energy. So the current method of preservation is not optimal, so many food producers are looking for an alternative.

NanoPEF – pulses of a nanosecond

PEF Technologies has found that alternative in the form of “nano-PEF” (nanosecond Pulsed Electric Fields). With that solution, one-month-old milk is still as tasty and healthy as the day the cow was milked. Yulia Mitko, Director of Operations at PEF Technologies explains: “We have developed a machine that can send an electric pulse of very high intensity for an extremely short duration – nanoseconds – through products. With this we kill the bacteria in milk, for example. In the process, the processing temperature does not exceed 65 degrees.” The technology is unique because of the length of the pulse, just nanoseconds. PEF Technologies is the first company to use nanoPEF for its technology.

First results and future

With the investments, PEF intends to further develop its technology. This will require further construction and expansion of the organization. Mitko: “In recent years, we have conducted many positive tests with food producers from different sectors. However, our goal is the most complicated product: milk. Besides pasteurization, there are several other alternative preservation technologies, but none are fully suitable for milk processing without compromising the functionality of valuable proteins. The first tests of nanoPEF-treated milk were promising; we are now validating our technology at a major dairy producer in the Netherlands.” The investment will achieve a social return of up to 50% savings in energy to be used.

€1.5 million investment

In the summer of 2022, Energiefonds Overijssel, Icos Capital and Oost NL first invested in PEF Technologies. This has now been followed up with this investment round. Radboud Dood, Investment Manager at Energiefonds Overijssel says: “With this investment we emphasize our confidence in nanoPEF preservation as a ‘game changing’ sustainable technology for the food industry. The team at PEF Technologies is fully committed to implementing the plan to make nanoPEF the next pasteurization standard, resulting in food with better taste, better quality and in a better environment.”

Carl Heijne, team manager Food at Oost NL adds: “PEF Technologies has developed a unique technology that leads to improvements in food quality, safer food and more sustainable production. That social impact, in addition to the large potential market, makes it a business case that suits us well.” Oost NL is investing from Innovatiefonds Overijssel, a fund of the province of Overijssel.

Source: Oost NL