Their Controlled Condensation Process Pasteurization (CCP) Technology pasteurizes low water activity foods such as tree nuts, peanuts, spices, grains and preserves the natural quality of the food, according to the judges.
"The tecnology maintains thermal equilibrium by controlling pressure, temperature, surface condensation and moisture levels," stated the judges' citation.
A Buhler Barth spokesperson told FoodProductionDaily.com at the IFT event: "The CCP system is natural involving no chemcials and can actually pasteurize in shell peanuts. Also the process involves no moisture pick up of the peanuts and tree nuts during pasteurization."
In addition, the process is said to preserve the original appearance, flavour and texture of the nuts without the cooked flavour notes (of some processes).
Salmonella surrogate
Trials have shown that it can deliver a guaranteed 5 log reduction in the salmonella surrogate species E. faecium. The system can be installed before or after an existing (continuous belt) roaster for the production of roasted and pasteurised peanuts.
A four step process, CCP involves:
* Conditioning or preheating close to the thermal equilibrium
* Equilibration to the thermal equilibrium* Pasteurization
* Restoration or the removal of excessive surface moisture.
Processing capacity can reach 20t an hour (44,000 lbs/hour). Operating costs are said to total 0.5 cents per pound processed.
Bacteria outbreaks
According to Buhler Barth, recent scares with salomella and other bacterial outbreaks have made the food industry more aware of the risks of processing peanuts, tree nuts, cocoa beans, oilseeds, spices and other crops.
"In 2007, the FDA (US Food and Drug Adminstration) ruled that all almonds, both raw and roasted, sold in the USA have to be pasteurized before consumption," said Buhler's spokesperson.
Buhler Barth is part of Koco based in Phoenix, USA. The parent company specialises in making equipement for the chocolate, confectionery, bakery and nut industries.
The four other winners of IFT Innovation Awards were: Bunge North America for Phytobake Shortening, Caravan Ingredients for its Transcendium Emulsifiers and Handary for its NisinA natural antimicrobial agent. Watch out for more details next week.
Meanwhile, a panel of nine judges from industry and government selected the five companies and their innovations from 56 qualified entries. Assessing entries limited to show exhibitors, the judges were looking for evidence of innovation, technical advancement, benefits to food manufacturers and consumers and scientific merit