Innate-Essence Ltd, the company behind The Turmeric Co., has installed a 104-tonne High Pressure Processing (HPP) at its site in Cambridgeshire, representing a major investment into its UK drinks manufacturing operation.
While the company has used HPP since its launch, it had previously relied on a third-party to carry it out. Bringing the technology in-house gives the business direct oversight of this part of production and enables it to create a much more efficient operating model, with raw materials coming in and finished product leaving within 24 hours.
Alongside its own range of juice shots, the Chatteris factory also produces a variety of private label products. As co-founder Thomas Robson-Kanu told Food Manufacture during an exclusive visit, investing in its own HPP capabilities forms part of a broader ambition to become the “go-to, best-in-class” functional beverage producer.
What is HPP?
HPP uses water and high pressure to inactivate harmful microorganisms and help extend shelf life. Unlike conventional heat pasteurisation, the process does not rely on high temperatures, helping preserve products’ fresh taste, colour, texture and nutrients without added preservatives.
Products undergo HPP after bottling and sealing. They are placed inside a water-filled chamber and exposed to pressures of up to 6,000 bar. The machine’s pressure chamber is reinforced with approximately 300 kilometres of wound wire.
Throughout its early concept stage, before Robson-Kanu came across HPP, he said the shots had a shelf life of around five days, chilled.
“We realised it wasn’t working,” he said. “But we knew we were never going to heat treat because it defeats the objective of why we’re here.”
Juice sector may be forced to change
For the former Premier League footballer, the goal is to provide a product that is clean, functional and transparent.
“My father and I started making blends in our kitchen because I was looking for something that could make a real difference to how I felt. That experience still shapes how I think about every product we make,” he said.
Speaking exclusively to Food Manufacture about the driver behind HPP, Robson-Kanu contended that most juices in store “do not need to be in the fridge” because they’ve been heat treated.
“They’re ambient, they’re shelf stable,” he said. “But they are being sold in a fresh fixture as a fresh product, even though it has been processed 12 to 24 months ago.”
But the juice founder believes a major change is coming. While discussions around UPFs have quietened down somewhat since last year, the juice founder is adamant that, in the next five to ten years, the degree of processing will become just as important as the ingredient make-up.
At the same time, as health continues to rise up the agenda and with the rise of GLP-1s, Robson-Kanu says consumers will begin to demand more minimally processed, nutrient dense products.
“The reality is that the majority of juices in this beverage category, and a lot of the functional products as well, are not serving that need,” he contended.
The investment in the HPP machinery underscores Robson-Kanu’s confidence in his prediction, as he foresees of an industry that will be forced to pivot as demand increases.
But that will be difficult, the former pro athlete noted. Most juice production cycles run on long lead times. While this allows those businesses to run seasonal batches, high volumes, and operate very efficiently, a move to HPP would require a drastic change.
As Robson-Kanu explained, that could make it an “unsustainable” model for many, tipping the advantage in Turmeric Co.’s favour.
This investment follows a series of updates to the site in Cambridgeshire, which it acquired four years ago. These investments include bespoke machinery for masticating and pressing raw materials, as well as capping and bottling equipment – with £5 million in total injected into the facility.
The company has also conducted its own peer-reviewed and published research into the benefits of its products.
“When someone spends their money with us, they’re trusting us with something they put into their body. I take that personally. We have to ask difficult questions of ourselves: does this product do what we say it does? What evidence do we have? How are we making sure it’s safe to consume?” Robson-Kanu continued.
“For me, creating products that work means putting the same care into the research and manufacturing as we put into the ingredients. This investment is part of taking that responsibility seriously.”
