Pilot plant facilities - for food and drink

At Campden BRI we have a huge range of food and drink pilot plant facilities, covering over 3000m², to help you develop new products, analyse existing processes, and evaluate ideas for the future. Our key areas are listed below but this is not an exhaustive list: We also have a specifically designed Microbiology Process Hall.

Sample and ingredient preparation

Facilities to cover a wide range of products including;

• Equipment for peeling and blanching and range of fruits and vegetables
• Meat processing and preparation equipment including sausage fillers and meat slicers
• Mixers, blenders, homogenisers for products such as soups and sauces

Thermal technologies, chilling and freezing

Campden BRI has nearly 100 years of experience in dealing with all aspects of heat processed foods. We have facilities to help you process your products;

• Thermal processing equipment including retorts (steam, steam/air, water immersion, raining water) and pasteurisation tanks for processing under a range of conditions and to cover a wide range of product areas including canned products, pouches, trays, etc.
• Steam–jacketed pans, batch pressure cooking and cooling vessels suitable for the manufacture of ketchups, jams, sauces and ready meal mixes
• Hot air and freeze driers for preparation of ingredients for dried mixes or lab samples
• Air blast chillers and freezers for ready meals as well as fruits and vegetables

Once your products and processes are designed we can offer support with cooking instructions and process validation.

Beverages

In addition to equipment for preparing ingredients for a wide range of drinks including soft, fruit based and carbonated, flavoured beverages we have facilities for packing and processing drinks. Facilities include;

• Drinks carbonators and a citrus multi–juicer
• HTST/UHT unit with tubular and plate heat exchanger capabilities

Emerging technologies

• New technologies such as high–pressure processing, pulsed light, UV–C light, power ultrasound, cold plasma and Revtech.

Packaging technologies

In our extensive pilot plant and packaging laboratory we have a wide range of packaging equipment and facilities - including a temperature controlled packing area, to help you with a variety of developmental issues:

• Can seamers
• Glass capper
• Modified atmosphere packaging bag and tray sealers
• Multivac pouch sealer
• Burst test equipment
• Gas analysers

Campden BRI has a range of packaging analysis including strength and integrity testing facilities and both chemical and sensory taint analysis capabilities.

In addition to this we have a range of temperature controlled rooms for storage in a variety of conditions. We also have dedicated a product development lab for recipe development including a range of kitchen–scale equipment, microwaves and conventional ovens.

We also have equipment to measure a range of quality control parameters.

Canning and aseptic processing

Campden BRI is world–renowned for its expertise and facilities in heat processing. We have available a variety of canning retorts, steam–jacketed pans, and UHT and pasteurisation heat exchangers, as well as temperature monitoring equipment.

You may also be interested in

• Services for the beverage industry - Technical services PDF

Key services

Heat process validation

Many factors affect the amount of heat delivered, the product it contains, and the degree of mixing during the process.

Pilot plant facilities

Food and drink pilot plant facilities, covering over 3000m2.

Thermal processing

Thermal processing is at the centre of food preservation.

Food product development

Developing new food and drink products is a complex process, we can help across the full range of food types.

Food cooking or reheating instructions

Knowledge and expertise for microwave and conventionally heated products.

New technologies services and information

Exploring new and emerging process technologies for industry use.

Pilot plant (on-line)

Develop new products, analyze existing processes and try out ideas.

Pet food product development

All our services are available to support the pet food industry.