Israel-based Better Juice has launched its first full-capacity manufacturing plant, as it scales up the production of its sugar-reducing immobilised enzymes.

The food tech start-up has entered into commitments with a number of juice companies to reduce the amount of sugar in their products. The new facility will enable Better Juice to fulfil current orders and respond to anticipated new demand. 

The launch marks the latest milestone for the company as it scales towards full commercial production. The plant will have the capacity to support sugar reduction of 250 million litres of juice every year.

Better Juice co-founder and co-CEO, Gali Yarom, said: “This move marks a major leap forward in our commercialisation efforts. We project that the new plant will accommodate our production needs for the next four years. As interest and demand in our technology continue to flourish in the global fruit juice sphere, we will expand our production capabilities outside of Israel as well.”  

Board member Amir Zaidman and founders Eran Blachinsky and Gali Yarom opening the new facility.

Better Juice’s technology produces beads composed of non-GMO microorganisms that naturally convert juice’s fruit sugars (sucrose, glucose and fructose) into prebiotic and non-digestible fibres.

The company’s technology can reduce up to 80% of the simple sugar content in a range of products, including juices, jams, yogurts, ice creams and sorbets, without any degradation of naturally occurring nutrients. The technology does not dilute the flavour, while “only gently reducing the sweetness,” according to Better Juice.

The new site is located in the Nes Ziona science park and features an industrial-scale fermenter and immobilisation processor – specialised equipment used for growing and harvesting the beaded microorganisms. The site also houses pilot labs and Better Juice’s new headquarters.

“We had to design and construct specialised systems from scratch to support our unique production processes while taking environmental considerations into account and adhering to the strictest requirements for waste treatment, water recycling and energy efficiency,” commented Henry Elkoby, chief engineer at Better Juice.

The company says that biodegradable polymer beads used in the production phase will subsequently be rechanneled to livestock feed. Meanwhile, the bioreactors only require a small amount of energy to activate and can be controlled remotely, reducing the need for travel to the site.