Nestlé signs deal to test dehydrated food technology

Nestec, a subsidiary of Nestlé, has signed a Technology Evaluation and License Option Agreement with EnWave Corporation. While Nestle is more commonly associated with chocolate, tea and cereals, the deal will see the two companies working together to test EnWave’s Radiant Energy Vacuum (REV) food dehydration technology.

The REV process uses vacuum microwave technology to combine energy transfer and pressure control to cause chemical reactions and dehydration. This dehydration method is also supposedly less time-consuming, taking 40 minutes to dry berries as opposed to 48 hours for freeze-drying.

Although EnWave and Nestlé previously signed an agreement in 2010 which did not come to fruition, it is claimed that the development of the EnWave product over the last few years should see a more successful outcome with this deal.

Brent Charleton, SVP of business development for EnWave, explained how this research and development project differs from their previous one.

“The first began over five years ago, before our Radiant Energy Vacuum (REV) technology had been established in a meaningful way commercially,” he said.

EnWave is looking at a more commercial initiative in the near future, especially in the food and pharmaceutical sectors. Lasting for a period of 12 months, the company has granted Nestec an option to exclusively license this technology should the outcome of the evaluation be successful.

The company currently has three commercial platforms: nutraREV, which is used in the food industry and aims to maintain flavour, nutrition and colour; powderREV, which is used for the bulk dehydration of food cultures, probiotics and fine biochemicals; and quantaREV, which is used for continuous, high-volume, low-temperature drying.

While both companies remain tight-lipped about the details of this arrangement, should it be successful it could see a favourite household brand expanding into the dehydrated food market.