Rieber & Søn gets research project

A research project to test new conservation technology in heat treatment has been assigned to Rieber & Søn.

Innovation director Roy Olav Hovlid commented: “The new method could help save energy, reduce processing time, improve the sensory quality of existing products, take better care of their nutritional content and create opportunities for new types of products.”

The project has been assigned to Rieber & Søn by the Norwegian Research Council.

The ‘Shaka’ technology

The new technology involves heat treating food with a shaking process using the so-called Shaka autoclave. This results in faster heating and cooling which shortens the heat treatment time drastically, giving the products higher quality.

Rieber & Søn currently uses static autoclaves (machines using hot water under pressure) to gradually heat food in cans and bags to 121 degrees Celsius. This high temperature is maintained for about three minutes. The whole process takes about two hours, killing all bacteria whilst giving the food a long shelf life. Using the Shaka technology reduces the total autoclave time significantly without compromising the durability of the products.

PD Manager Bjørn Morten Myrtvedt commented: “In addition, the sensory quality of the food is better, which obviously makes the new autoclave very interesting.”

Shaken, not stirred

In a traditional autoclave the food remains stable inside its airtight packaging. This means that, while the outside temperature is very high, it takes a long time before the food in the middle of the box or bag is heated, a factor which can cause problems with the burning or browning of food around the edges. The sensory quality of food can also be affected by long and uneven heat treatment.

The new autoclave differs from the traditional method because it vibrates, providing a range of new opportunities and benefits.

Roy Olaf explained: “By keeping the food in constant motion the Shaka technology provides a smoother and shorter heat treatment. Compared with conventional autoclaves, shaking technology will, for most products, result in improved taste, smell, appearance and consistency.“

Among the first in the world

Bjørn Morten added: “The research project gives us the opportunity to test the new autoclave thoroughly before we decide whether or not to invest in new equipment. We’re excited to be involved in an innovation project of this kind. It shows that Rieber & Søn is ahead of the game when it comes to adopting new technology. We are actually among the first in the world to build expertise in this area.”

The project is scheduled to run for four years, starting in autumn 2011.