EnWave Corporation has installed a 120kW quantaREV machine to produce dehydrofrozen vegetables at a Bonduelle processing facility in Quebec, Canada. Following a break-in period of testing and fine-tuning the new radiant energy vacuum (REV) dehydration technology system, Bonduelle aims to introduce a range of “improved vegetable products” to market in 2016.
Dehydrofrozen vegetables are produced by homogeneously removing a small amount of moisture from fresh vegetables immediately before freezing, in a way designed to enhance the flavor, color and nutrient concentration of finished product. Bonduelle hopes to establish its dehydrofrozen vegetables as the premium option for buyers of frozen vegetables.
In November of 2012 the Villeneuve d’Ascq, France-headquartered company signed an exclusive royalty-bearing license with Vancouver, BC, Canada-based EnWave Corporation to produce dehydrofrozen vegetables using REV technology, receiving global exclusivity for this product area. It will pay a production-based royalty on a quarterly basis and make monthly lease payments to EnWave as compensation for use of the 120kW quantaREV machinery.
This installation is the first commercial-scale quantaREV machine that has been built by EnWave. Its platform uses either tray and/or belt components to continuously transport organic materials through a vacuum-microwave environment. As Bonduelle grows the market for dehydrofrozen vegetables, it will collaborate with EnWave to finalize the design and construction of a 300kW quantaREV machine for potential future use.
Thus far the EnWave has inked 13 royalty-bearing licenses, opening up eight distinct market sectors for commercialization with companies. In addition to these licenses, it has formed a limited liability partnership, NutraDried LLP, to develop, manufacture, market and sell all-natural cheese snack products in the United States under the Moon Cheese brand.
