The latest news, trends, analysis, interviews and podcasts from the global food and beverage industry

South Korean cold brew coffee producer Next Bio has invested in Hiperbaric's high-pressure processing (HPP) technology to enhance production capacity, maintain quality and extend the shelf life of its cold brew products. Founded in 1999, Hiperbaric is a supplier of HPP equipment for the food and beverage industry. Next Bio has installed a Hiperbaric 300 industrial HPP system at its facility, allowing it to process up to 1,410kg of cold brew coffee per hour using HPP's ultra-high pressure pure cold water method. This results in an annual production capability of 6,000 tons of HPP-treated cold brew coffee. The HPP method applies water pressure up to 6,000 bar to deactivate foodborne pathogens and spoilage microorganisms in pre-packaged products. This cold process eliminates harmful bacteria while preserving the natural nutrients, flavour and colour of the coffee. KJ Choi, CMO of Next Bio, said: "We are very pleased to collaborate with Hiperbaric to introduce this cutting-edge technology to our company. HPP allows us to improve the safety and shelf life of our product up to 90 days while maintaining its freshness and flavour. This investment will help us continue to supply top-quality cold brew coffee to our customers, including many cafes, foodservice and consumer brands in Korea and export markets like the US, Japan and Singapore." The HPP equipment complements Next Bio's proprietary 'Super Drop Process,' distinguishing it from other cold extraction methods. This system uses pure cold water below 18°C at atmospheric pressure to extract a highly concentrated essence gently. YH Kim of Next Bio, explained: "Through our Super Drop Process, we can extract up to 24 bricks from coffee and eight bricks from tea and herbs in just 60 minutes with a single drip – almost three times thicker than espresso for coffee". The company said that Super Drop, unlike other methods, enables Next Bio to maintain the full, rich flavour and aroma of coffee and tea. These cold brew extracts can be used in various products such as ice cream, bread, pastries, beer and coffee beverages. YH Kim added: "You can taste the robust flavour from start to finish. And now, combining our Super Drop Process with Hiperbaric's HPP technology, we keep those exceptional organoleptic qualities intact".