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Vancouver, B.C.- EnWave Corporation (TSX-V: ENW) (“EnWave” or “the Company") today announced that it has achieved an important milestone by producing a saleable dried blueberry product using its continuous nutraREV dehydration equipment.
In accomplishing the milestone EnWave demonstrated it could produce shelf-stable, puffed berries. The nutraREV technology is capable of operating at different settings to control the amount of moisture and water activity depending on the end product requirements. nutraREV can also enhance the quality of the product by “puffing” the berries into a post-dehydration state which is similar in appearance to a fresh blueberry. This is a significant benefit compared to freeze-dried berries, which typically collapse into a raisin-like appearance after dehydration. EnWave’s smaller quantity trials have now demonstrated that a majority of the berries can be consistently puffed on the continuous line. In connection with this milestone, the Company will receive a payment of $15,000 from its testing and commercialization partner, CAL-SAN Enterprises Ltd. (“CAL-SAN”), a Richmond, B.C.-based blueberry producer.
EnWave will now begin producing dried blueberries in small quantities with specific product specifications from CAL-SAN’s target customers. The Company will also complete final modifications on the equipment to prepare for the commercialization testing phase. This activity will be followed by an increase in production volumes until the Company has achieved target commercial levels of 100 kilograms of dried berries per hour. Once this commercial production level has been satisfactorily reached at the CAL-SAN facility, EnWave expects that CAL-SAN will purchase the first continuous nutraREV technology and enter into a licence and royalty agreement with EnWave.
“I am excited to see this technology up and running within our plant, and have been very pleased so far with the quality of the test product,” said Dave Sandhu, President of CAL-SAN. “I hope to be able to ramp up production of our dried blueberries to commercial scale over the next few months.”
“This is a major milestone for the Company,” said John McNicol, President and Co-CEO of EnWave Corporation. “I am confident that nutraREV is up to the challenge of a commercial environment, and our technical team is managing the testing process closely to support a successful start up.”
Results from the commercial-scale test are expected in the third quarter of 2008.
About CAL-SAN Enterprises
CAL-SAN Enterprises Ltd. is a blueberry and cranberry farming and processing operation, privately owned by the Sandhu family, and headquartered in Richmond, B.C. The 15 year old company has over 200 acres in production, along with a new 30,000 square foot facility capable of processing up to 7 million pounds of fruit annually. In 2007, the Company's new fruit winery, SANDUZ Estate Wines, was selected as the Best New Business of the Year by the Richmond Chamber of Commerce.
About EnWave
Using proprietary technologies developed in conjunction with the University of British Columbia, EnWave is focused on the development of new methods of dehydrating biological and food materials using Radiant Energy Vacuum technology under its bioREV, nutraREV and powderREV brands. REV technology combines microwave energy transfer with pressure control to dehydrate and alter structures and drive chemical reactions, thereby creating unique product characteristics for both food products and medical applications that include dry vaccines and antibodies. More information about EnWave is available at www.enwave.net.
EnWave Corporation
Mr. John McNicol
President & Co-CEO
For further information:
Mr. John McNicol, President and Co-CEO at (604) 601-8524, Email: john.mcnicol@enwave.net
Investor Relations: Jennifer Thompson at (604) 603-6549
This press release may contain forward-looking information based on management's expectations, estimates and projections. All statements that address expectations or projections about the future, including statements about the Company's strategy for growth, product development, market position, expected expenditures and financial results are forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statement in this press release includes: “EnWave expects”. These statements are not a guarantee of future performance and involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions: there is no guarantee that the Company’s nutraREV technology can or will improve processes in the food industry; even if the Company’s nutraREV technology can be used as described in this document, there is no guarantee that such use will result in orders for the Company’s nutraREV technology.
The TSX Venture Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the information contained herein.
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