Bühler has strengthened its market position in the food manufacturing sector, particularly within nut processing, by integrating the NapaRoast steam vacuum pasteurisation technology into its extensive offerings. This advancement enables Bühler to better align with current trends, including sustainable practices, regulatory compliance, and rising demand for healthy snacking options.
“The integration of NapaRoast puts us in the unique position to be a one-stop shop for our customers,” noted Cathrin Flühler, head of market segment nuts at Bühler. “The best-in-class pasteurisation process guarantees food safety and traceability, and, in combination with our proven technologies for nuts processing, adds efficiency. By incorporating the NapaRoast solution into our portfolio, we look forward to sharing its benefits and serving the NapaRoast customer base—not just for nuts, but across many food processing solutions offered by Bühler.”
Currently, the global nut market is experiencing growth at an annual rate of up to 7%. As tree nuts and ground nuts gain popularity as healthy snacks due to their high protein, fibre, and antioxidant content, the focus on food safety intensifies. NapaRoast’s steam-vacuum pasteurisation process effectively addresses the stringent microbial contamination requirements faced by processors today.
“Our pasteurisation process offers a high pathogen reduction of >5 log in nuts, seeds, and all low moisture foods. During our process, steam is utilized to raise the surface temperature of the product, effectively killing pathogens,” explained Dr. Cameon Ivarsson, co-founder of NapaRoast. By using saturated steam for pasteurisation, products can be treated at lower temperatures in a partial vacuum. This method enhances efficiency, eliminates the need for a drying step, and preserves the quality, texture, color, and flavor of the product.
“We already covered the most important steps such as transport, sorting, storage, roasting, and grinding in our portfolio. However, we previously had to rely on external suppliers for the pasteurisation process. Now, our customers can access all critical technologies along the value chain from Bühler, creating valuable synergies for everyone involved. This collaboration perfectly aligns two companies with shared values, including quality, ingenuity, and value creation for customers and consumers,” said Cathrin Flühler.
Cameon Ivarsson added: “With Bühler, there is a huge opportunity to amplify the impact of our pasteurisation technologies globally. Their extensive customer base, combined with decades of experience in plant and process engineering, ensures that we can maximize the benefits of our technology. We couldn’t be more excited about the future of nuts processing.”
The NapaRoast pasteurisation technology is already in use at over 40 processing plants worldwide, primarily in the United States, Europe, and Africa. The pasteurisation and roasting lines accommodate throughputs ranging from one tonne per hour to six tonnes per hour. The process design treats products in bulk bins, minimizing breakage, dust, and waste, while also reducing downtime for product changeover. Its flexibility accommodates the processing of whole pieces, chopped ingredients, or powders.
To reinforce its leadership in food manufacturing within nut processing and offer customers the unique opportunity to test and train along the value chain, Bühler has enhanced its Flavor Creation Research and Training Center in Uzwil, Switzerland.
“Of course, the pasteurisation step is integrated into our state-of-the-art facility, allowing customers to experience the technology first-hand. We are excited to open our center in August this year for trials and to invite them to the first exclusive training session on November 4 and 5,” said Cathrin Flühler.
