Resis Australia launches new pilot plant
Fri 04 November 2011
Teale Kuskopf-Dallas, Bachelor of Journalism
After five years of research and development, local Sunshine Coast business Resis Australia launched its new pilot plant facilities at Nambour in September, 2011, to process sugar cane juice.
The new facility could see the creation of a new market, with the natural sweetener replacing sugar as a healthier alternative.
Resis Australia has been working with a number of research institutions for the past five years, including James Cook University and the CSIRO.
It also worked with the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation’s Innovative Food Technologies team to develop special cane separation technology.
The result is a minimally processed whole food product, healthier than its more refined counterpart.
The juice contains a number of surprising health benefits, including being rich in vitamins, beta-carotenoids, antioxidants and riboflavin.
It also contains high amounts of potassium, magnesium, iron and calcium.
The product can be used to replace refined sugar, or even fruit juice, in cooking.
Resis Australia managing director Sonya Maley said, however, that there were a number of misconceptions about the health benefits of sugar cane juice.
“There is a lot of misinformation out there,” Ms Maley said.
“One of the big errors I see is reporting the juice as alkaline and low GI.
“This is not correct, and very dangerous to be encouraging diabetics to ingest the juice without fear of hyperglycaemic attacks.”
The pilot plant received funding assistance from the Federal Government’s Commercialisation Australia program.
Economic Development and Entrepreneurship Portfolio councillor Lew Brennan said the Sunshine Coast Regional Council also assisted in the development.
“Council supports the growth of Resis and will continue through key projects like the Canelands Master Plan and our new Local Business Support Program,” Cr Brennan said.
“I congratulate Sonya and Resis for providing one of a suite of solutions to the future use of cane lands and am confident of its ongoing success.”
Ms Maley said there was some interest in sugar cane juice from the international market.
“This pilot plant is providing invaluable information for future investment in a full-scale manufacturing facility on the Sunshine Coast based on sustainable and viable markets,” Ms Maley said.
“A commercial plant when established will bring new opportunities to cane growers through new markets; also to local communities through skills development.”
Resis Australia exclusively uses Sunshine Coast sugar cane farmers.
The new market could also a see a new demand created in the sugar cane industry, but cane farmers were not holding their breath.
Caneland Landowners Group spokesman Noel Covey said the juice extraction process used only part of the sugar cane stalk, and as such was a very specialised process which would only suit a small number of growers.
“I think it would be fair to say that all parties at this stage would be sceptical of the outcome, but supportive in the event that the process proved viable,” Mr Covey said.
“That said, even if it does get up, by no means will it be the saviour of the Coast or the historical cane lands in general.
“The other thing that needs to be remembered is that such a plant for commercial production I expect, based on history, will be many years away and require substantial injection of finance from other sources.”
Ms Maley had the eventual hope that the juice would be used by larger manufacturers as a natural and healthier sweetener alternative.
Nutritionist and author of Changing Habits Cyndi O’Meara is a proponent of rapadura sugar, a pure, unrefined sugar produced from sugar cane juice.
The juice is evaporated over low heat and stirred to produce a grainy sugar.
Because it is not cooked at a high heat, nor spun into crystals, rapadura sugar still contains molasses and retains its healthy vitamin and mineral content.
Like sugar cane juice, Ms O’Meara said rapadura sugar could be used as a direct replacement for refined sugars in cooking.
Ms O'Meara said rapadura was healthier because it was not separated from the molasses.
“‘Raw’ sugar is not really raw - it has been heated at high temperatures and a lot of the minerals and vitamins are gone,” Ms O’Meara said.
“Some sugar is sold as 'organic' raw sugar, and people think this means it's unrefined - all it really means is that it's grown with organic agricultural methods, then refined as usual.
“White sugar is refined much further; the raw sugar is centrifuged again, then the crystals are dissolved, boiled, and crystallised again into white sugar, and any lingering goodness has completely disappeared.”
The launch of Resis Australia’s pilot plant was attended by a number of industry representatives.
At the launch there was an array of food made with the natural sweeter, including marinades, dressings, desserts and even alcoholic beverages.
Resis Australia is using the launch of the pilot plant to conduct detailed market research.
The research will be completed in January.
Image(s) designed by Teale Kuskopf-Dallas