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June 23, 2025
Author: Annabel Norris, Marketing Manager
The beverage sector is undergoing rapid transformation. Changing consumer preferences, sustainability demands, and the push for extended shelf-life are all shaping the way manufacturers approach production. As the food and beverage processing equipment market evolves, producers are seeking advanced systems that balance efficiency, product quality, and energy use.
One area of particular innovation is the sterilisation and heating of beverages, especially those containing sensitive ingredients like dairy proteins, grains or fruit juices. These types of products are increasingly popular but also present unique processing challenges.
For many drinks, particularly those that are fruit-based or dairy-enriched, it’s essential to preserve natural characteristics such as colour, flavour and texture. These attributes are easily degraded through traditional heating methods like steam heat exchangers, which rely on conduction and convection through hot surfaces. These surfaces can reach very high temperatures, risking denaturation of proteins, caramelisation of sugars, and loss of nutritional value.
This issue is especially critical in the production of premium beverages, such as fruit-based juices, protein shakes and dairy alternatives, where ingredients like whey protein isolate or fresh fruit pulp can be extremely sensitive to heat.
To address these challenges, new types of beverage processing equipment are emerging that offer more controlled and efficient methods of heating. One such example is Jet Sterilisation, a direct, in-line heating technology developed by DC Norris.
Unlike traditional methods, Jet Sterilisation delivers energy directly into the product via multiple in-line Jet Cook units. This rapid, single-pass process can raise product temperatures to 148°C in seconds, reducing the time the product is exposed to heat and preserving its organoleptic and nutritional properties. Because there are no excessively hot surfaces, burn-on is eliminated — a significant advantage in cleaning, product yield, and maintaining consistent quality.
Jet Sterilisation is particularly well-suited to complex beverage formulations. For example, hydration times for grains such as crushed oats or maize — key ingredients in many non-dairy drinks — are significantly reduced. This is due to the system’s ability to produce trillions of microscopic droplets in a partial vacuum environment, which penetrate ingredients efficiently and evenly.
Texture and consistency are also critical in beverage manufacturing. Drinks such as Maheu and Brushera require different textures depending on consumer preference and market. The Jet Sterilisation System offers fine control through its non-mechanical shear function, allowing manufacturers to tailor mouthfeel without additional processing stages.
Energy consumption is a growing concern in the food and beverage processing equipment market. With Jet Sterilisation, the majority of the steam’s energy is transferred directly into the product, making the process more energy-efficient than conventional systems. This not only reduces operating costs but supports broader sustainability goals — a key driver for manufacturers across global markets.
Another operational advantage is system simplicity. Jet Sterilisation uses minimal pipework, has no moving parts in contact with the product, and can be disassembled for cleaning in minutes. In contrast to complex heat exchanger systems, this reduces downtime, cleaning labour, and product loss.
Furthermore, Jet Sterilisation can be integrated into wider processing lines such as the DCN Jet Process System — a modular setup that combines Jet Cook, Jet Entrain, Jet Heat, and Jet Clean technologies for complete inline processing of extended shelf-life beverages and liquid foods.
With installations worldwide, including in Africa where multiple systems are producing 65 tonnes of beverages every hour, Jet Sterilisation is proving to be a valuable asset in high-volume, high-quality production. A development kitchen based at the Cape Town Peninsula University of Technology also supports local manufacturers with trials and process development.
As the demand for diverse, high-quality, and shelf-stable beverages continues to rise, so too does the need for advanced food and beverage processing equipment. Technologies like Jet Sterilisation represent a shift toward smarter, more efficient production, where product integrity, energy savings, and operational simplicity are no longer mutually exclusive.
For beverage manufacturers navigating the evolving market landscape, embracing these innovations is becoming less of an option and more of a necessity. Get in touch with our experienced team here at DC Norris today.
