- Project backed by $891,000 grant from U.S. Department of Agriculture
- Ohio State gives Pressure BioSciences $318,000 contract to design and build “first-in-kind” bench-top and floor model Ultra Shear Technology equipment
- Game-changing technology could provide cost-effective methods of preserving milk, other dairy products and juices at room temperature and without the need for chemical preservatives
Pressure BioSciences Inc. (OTCQB: PBIO), a leading developer of innovative pressure-based solutions for the global life sciences industry, and the highly-regarded College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) of The Ohio State University, are collaborating to create a cost-effective and game-changing new method of allowing beverages and liquid foods to be stored at room temperature, according to a recent company press release (http://nnw.fm/f9ZUb). The company believes that its Ultra Shear Technology (UST) can be scaled up to make it possible to preserve foodstuffs such as milk, other dairy products and juices without the use of additives and without compromising their look, texture or fresh taste. The company believes that UST will also allow these foods to be conveniently stored at room temperature for extended periods of time.
Combining high pressure and high shear forces while minimizing exposure to damaging high temperatures, this innovative method is expected to allow for the manufacture of healthier and better tasting products by eliminating the need for chemical preservatives and reducing thermal damage.
“The ultimate goal of this collaborative project is for consumers to benefit from the increased availability of wholesome, healthy, better-tasting, shelf-stable, clean label liquid food and beverage options. Imagine liquid foods like milk shipped and stored at room temperature for extended periods of time post-processing, while retaining superior nutritional and taste qualities,” Pressure BioSciences President and CEO Richard T. Schumacher said in a news release.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture is funding the project with an $891,000 grant over four years, extended to Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Because of its expertise in high pressure and high-pressure equipment, Ohio State sub-contracted Pressure BioSciences to create bench-top and plant floor equipment in a deal worth $318,000.
At the moment, although there are high-pressure processing (HPP) methods that extend shelf-life and reduce disease-causing microbes, these methods are expensive and non-efficient. HPP can reduce food-borne pathogens and extend shelf-life without the need for chemical additives, but it remains a batch process that’s not capable of continuous flow. Because it is only a pasteurization process that does not render food commercially sterile, HPP-processed food must be stored and shipped under refrigeration at all times. “We believe that Ultra Shear Technology will provide economical solutions to these problems, and will offer an additional, clean label processing choice to both consumers and the food industry around the world,” Pressure BioSciences’ Senior Vice President of Engineering, Dr. Edmund Y. Ting, Sr., added.
The joint Ohio State University-Pressure BioSciences program is headed by Dr. V.M. “Bala” Balasubramaniam, a professor of food engineering at CFAES who is known internationally for his research on high-pressure and other types of nonthermal processing and safe processing of food using reduced heat. “We believe UST can be used by food manufacturers for the processing of healthier and improved beverages, sauces, condiments and other foods,” he stated in a news release. Balasubramaniam works with a multidisciplinary team of chemists, microbiologists and nutritionists at Ohio State’s CFAES that investigates innovative food technologies and collaborates with industry entities to implement these technologies commercially.
The program offers the potential to bring revolutionary advantages and cost savings to the consumer and the dairy industry, but also to schools, the military, disaster relief agencies and other such groups, according to Schumacher.
He added that this promising project comes against a backdrop of positive developments for the company. “With our core business showing consistent revenue growth, our BaroFold acquisition generating revenue much sooner than planned, and our Ultra Shear Technology platform getting off to an impressive start, we believe PBIO has now positioned itself well for rapid, explosive growth in the months and years ahead.”
For more information, visit the company’s website at www.PressureBioSciences.com
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