Better Juice and GEA scale up sugar reduction technology to disrupt global juice industry

25 Jan 2021 --- Sugar-reduction food-tech start-up Better Juice is collaborating with German-headquartered GEA Group, a key player in process engineering for the food and beverage sectors. The partnership is part of Better Juice’s strategy to transform the global juice industry by advancing its technology to reduce all sugars in orange juices. The joint venture (JV) will push Better Juice’s scale up and expand its global footprint.

Better Juice and GEA TDS GmbH agreed to collaboratively construct and install the sugar reduction innovative solution to reduce all types of sugars in orange juice and market the system globally. 

Under this partnership, GEA will engineer, design, manufacture and install the bioreactor that reduces sugars via Better Juice’s proprietary enzymatic process. 

Better Juice will produce the immobilized microorganisms for the enzymatic process.

The agreement contributes to Better Juice’s goals of broadening its outreach and support to the global juice industry. 

Better Juice was founded in 2017 by a team of biochemists and microbiologists, each with extensive product development experience from industry and The Hebrew University in Jerusalem. 

The company received its funding and is supported by The Kitchen Hub, Strauss Group’s food-tech incubator, Maverick Ventures Israel, and other global partners. 

Eran Blachinsky and Gali Yarom, the co-founders of Better Juice.

What is the technology?
The company’s breakthrough technology effectively solves the sugar-reduction conundrum without negatively impacting the natural nutritional values and prebiotic benefits of fresh orange juice. This is considered a key challenge.

The start-up’s enzymatic technology uses all-natural ingredients to convert fructose, glucose, and sucrose into prebiotic dietary fibers and other non-digestible molecules. 

It can reduce up to 80 percent of the sugars in orange juice. Better Juice’s non-GMO technology is designed to target the specific sugar composition in orange juice to naturally create a low-calorie, reduced-sugar product with a delicate sweetness, without sweeteners or other additives used to replace the sugars.

“This collaboration marks a major milestone in Better Juice’s scale-up plans and advances the commercialization of our technology,” explains Eran Blachinsky, PhD, founder and CEO of Better Juice. 

“GEA possesses a sterling reputation in the field of process technology and will be a strong engineering partner. This collaboration will allow for smooth integration of our enzymatic technology into juice production companies seeking to meet the sugar-reduction trend. It will undoubtedly open doors for us and accelerate sales growth internationally,” adds Blachinsky.

“GEA is constantly seeking to work with companies developing innovative solutions and cutting-edge, sustainable technologies that benefit consumers’ nutrition and lifestyles,” adds Colm O’Gorman, head of sales management for GEA’s Global Technology Center for Non-Alcoholic Beverages. 

“Better Juice is an excellent fit, and we are eager to help them develop the market for sugar-reduced juices."

New designs on the horizon 
GEA will design three instruments with small, medium, large production capacities within several months to address juice companies' various requirements. The 200L device will launch within a few months. 

Each device will be customized to the manufacturer’s needs and limitations, with Better Juice and GEA providing full-service support. 

“This means that Better Juice can become a global player in the sugar-reduction market, with local support and service teams in each country,” explains Gali Yarom, co-founder, COO, and vice president of business development for Better Juice.

GEA is one of the largest suppliers for food processing technology and of related industries. The global group specializes in machinery, plants, as well as process technology and components. 

By Gaynor Selby