butter to wine and was donated to the Experiment Station by the Oden Corporation of Buffalo, NY, in support of programs in Food Science & Technology.
by Linda McCandless
Geneva, NY - A tart-tasting health drink was the first product to come pouring through the new automated filler line in the Pilot Plant at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, NY. The $50,000 state-of-the-art, single head, commercial product filler is capable of filling any product ranging in consistency from peanut butter to wine and was donated to the Experiment Station by the Oden Corporation of Buffalo, NY, in support of programs in Food Science & Technology.
The test run of 500 1.5 liter bottles of the vinegar-based "Nature's De-Lite" was a sweet sight to Dick Compo, the retired Chamber of Commerce executive from Seneca County who first came to the Food Science & Technology Department several years ago for help with a health drink comprised of apple juice, grape juice, and apple cider vinegar.
"He asked if we could process a test size batch of the product in our Pilot Plant," said Robert Kime, Pilot Plant Manager. Food scientists from Geneva were able to greatly improve the drink's taste and clarity by the use of R. W. Kime's patent #4,327,115, "Clarification of Fruit Juice With Honey." The honey made the drink smoother and fruitier, and helped eliminate the terrible haze problem that typically occurs in this type of drink.
Compo's goal is to produce 100 gallons a week. "My first trial was 10 to 20 gallons," he said. Seneca Food supplies the concentrates for the apple juice and the Concord grape juice. The drink retails for $5.95 in local health food and nutrition stores.
Vinegar has been mentioned in books and articles for many years as to its many mystical health benefits. Those who tout its curative properties claim that cider vinegar lessens arthritis, helps with weight loss, cures gout, lowers cholesterol, and dispels lethargy. Vinegar has long been touted as nature's own cleansing agent, said Compo. If it's capable of cleaning kitchen drains, dissolving calcium and mineral deposits in pipes, and tenderizing meats, proponents say it will do the same job inside the body. Those who buy Nature's DeLite or its southern cousin, "Jogging in a Jug," drink 2 ounces a day and say it leads to a healthier circulatory system and cleaner organs.
Nature's DeLite is one of the more unusual products to come through the 10,000 sq. ft. Pilot Plant at Geneva. Dozens of companies have used the Pilot Plant facility in the last few years to develop new products and processing methods. These companies range in size from start-up entrepreneurs like Compo to larger companies like Seneca Foods, Comstock-Michigan Fruit, Hanover Brand, and Campbell's Soup.
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