Functional drinks, including those containing cannabis- or hemp-derived ingredients, are one of the fastest growing segments of the beverage category. HRS Heat Exchangers international sales and marketing director Matt Hale writes. This article was first published in Food & Drink Business April 2021.
CBD (cannabidiol) is a chemical extracted from hemp and marijuana plants. While CBD is an active ingredient in cannabis, it does not cause the psychoactive effects associated with the chemical THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), which is also found in the plants.
CBD used in food and drink products is usually taken from hemp oil due to its lower THC levels. While studies are ongoing, some of the claimed CBD benefits include reducing inflammation, improving relaxation, and better focus.
The global cannabis drinks market is predicted to treble in value by 2024, reaching around $7.6 billion. Large global brands, including AB InBev and Molson Coors have announced plans to produce products containing CBD.
Entering this market is not for the faint-hearted as different stages of market development, recognition, and approval around the world present challenges to the development of a large market with common standards.
There are limitations and prohibitions on different products in different countries (and even states), so export can equal a whole new range of protocols, tests, and approvals.
Technical challenges extend beyond product formulation into product consistency and stability. The exact nature of the compounds found in the plant that can be extracted can vary according to the growing environment of the plants and how they are processed.
Heat exchangers play a key role in the manufacture of many beverage products, and cannabis infused drinks have the same requirements for pasteurisation, sterilisation, cooking or cooling as any other beverages which contain specific ingredients.
The type and model of heat exchanger needed depends on different factors including which process is needed (pasteurisation, sterilisation, dehydration) and the viscosity of the drink being processed.
High-Temperature, Short-Time (HTST) pasteurisation techniques help to preserve the flavour and texture (including the crucial emulsion) of many drinks, while cooling can involve chilled water or specific materials such as glycol. Evaporation using heat exchangers is also an efficient method of concentrating products to achieve the required formulation.
HRS has a complete range of products from simple tube-in-tube designs to reciprocating scraped-surface designs, all of which combine efficient heat transfer with delicate product handling.
