Tetra Pak has launched a “first-of-its-kind” low-energy processing line for juice, nectar and still drinks (JNSD) designed for raising efficiency in beverage processing. The system involves a unique combination of pasteurization, filtration and UV light technology to treat beverages in two separate streams, which are aseptically blended together into the final beverage. Through the splitting of its original JNSD line into two processes, the company prospects significant sustainability gains for drink formulators.

“We realized that we needed to rethink JNSD processing and find a more sustainable solution, that at the same time still provides a high level of food safety and quality assurance for our customers. The launch of our new low-energy JNSD processing line, ‘Best Practice Line for JNSD with Aseptic Blending,’ illustrates how we are innovating with traditional processing methods in pursuit of more sustainable and efficient solutions,” details Maria Norlin, Subcategory Manager JNSD & Other Beverages at Tetra Pak.

Instead of pasteurizing the whole volume of the product, Tetra Pak designed the new production line to separate out water and pasteurize only the concentrate. Water is treated separately with filtration and UV Light, which requires a lot less energy. In the new JNSD line, energy consumption is reduced up to 67 percent and water consumption used for cleaning-in-place, sterilization and product change-over is cut up to 50 percent.

“Our decision to split the existing JNSD line into two separate processing streams for treatment allows us to offer our customers processing options that can help them achieve their climate goals, and enables the industry to contribute toward global sustainability efforts,” notes Norlin.

“After many years of low growth, we see new opportunities for our customers on the horizon, as people increasingly search for ways to lead a healthier lifestyle and this trend has accelerated during the spread of COVID-19. We hope this new production line can help customers capture the growth opportunities in a more cost-efficient way,” adds Norlin.

Tetra Pak F&B scientists and processing engineers have set out goals for rethinking and redesigning the JNSD processing line. Last year, a white paper was released outlining the production concept, which was presented at the International Fruit and Vegetable Juice Association Technical Workshop in March 2019.

In October 2019 at the Juice Summit, the presentation of the new production concept attained recognition with the IFU 2019 Innovation Award.

In other Tetra Pak F&B developments, the packaging specialist recently launched its first complete processing line for white cheese products with a fully automated and integrated solution to ensure a high standard of food safety and speed to market. The new processing line enables white milk producers and traditional cheese makers to explore opportunities within white cheese. The key market for this service is the Greater Middle East – Turkey, Iran and Egypt, with Europe as a secondary key market.