PASADENA, CALIF. – Napasol North America LLC of Pasadena, CA, has successfully validated its Grower Direct Nut Company pasteurizer for Almonds. The Almond Board of California’s Technical Expert Review Panel (TERP) accepted the process for the Napasol pasteurization system in accordance with the USDA code of federal regulation requirements for Almonds Grown in California. This approval broadens Napasol’s market by completing the full range of tree nuts already validated with access to the North America almond industry.
The Grower Direct Nut Company of Hughson California, was notified November 26, 2018 of the successful validation of its Napasol Pasteurization unit for Almonds. The high capacity pasteurizer has been running walnuts and with this approval they can in addition offer pasteurization toll services to the Almond industry. The tree nut industry is increasing faced with the need for pasteurization in part due to the preventative controls requirement of the FSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act). The Napasol process satisfies increasing demand for natural pasteurization alternatives to the more established PPO (Propylene Oxide) treatment widely used to satisfy the mandatory almond pasteurization rule.
Napasol pasteurizers have been consistently and reliably producing high quality Ready-to-Eat nuts that retain all their raw characteristics with a >5log pathogen reduction process. This can be achieved because the Napasol process uniquely allows pasteurizing at low temperatures by working in a partial vacuum with saturated steam. According to Dr. Cameon Ivarsson, CEO of Napasol North America, “the low temperature process preserves the raw characteristic of the nuts as the steam does not wet the product and no drying step is needed”.
Unlike other processes where product is transported on conveyors, belts, or by other mechanical means, the almonds in the Napasol process are immobile in a bin which moves through the processing line. This eliminates mechanical product damage thus reducing dust and breakage. The product in the bin is never in contact with the equipment allowing continuous use of the equipment without down time for cleaning. When needed the bins can be cleaned offline while the line is running.
Napasol North America of Pasadena, CA, provides pasteurization equipment for nuts, seeds, herbs, spices and other low moisture foods. Since its inception in 2006 Napasol has installed over 30 pasteurization plants on all 5 continents. The compact modular Pasteurization lines have a range of throughput from of 500 to 30’000 lbs/hr. While Napasol equipment is validated for the full range of nuts in locations around the world, this is the first plant in the US to get TERP approval for Almond Pasteurization. This major step will open the considerable and growing Almond pasteurization market to Napasol’s technology.
The Grower Direct Nut Company is a full-service walnut processing facility that primarily focuses on shelled walnuts. The family business was founded in 2004. In addition, the Martella family serves many local growers with a commercial harvesting business and is one of the largest walnut hullers/dehydrators in California. Obtaining TERP approval and adding the Napasol pasteurization unit allows them to offer services for walnuts, almonds and potentially other nuts.
