Tetra Pak launches industrial bioreactor, offering up to 12% operational cost savings
Tetra Pak® Bioreactor RF enables stable, scalable fermentation with reduced risk, faster start-up and up to 12% lower operational costs1, from pilot to full production.
Lausanne, Switzerland, 7 July 2026: Tetra Pak announces the launch of the Tetra Pak® Bioreactor RF, its first industrial bioreactor. The launch follows Tetra Pak’s acquisition of Bioreactors.net in December 2025 and marks a significant step in expanding the company’s offering for industrial fermentation and New Food production.
New Food fermentation, where microorganisms such as yeast, bacteria and fungi convert raw materials into valuable food ingredients, is becoming an increasingly important capability for food and ingredient producers. As the industry looks to diversify ingredient sourcing and improve resource efficiency, producers are moving rapidly from pilot testing to industrial-scale production. These companies are therefore seeking systems that deliver consistent performance while reducing variability and operational burden.
Tetra Pak® Bioreactor RF is a fermentation vessel designed to maintain stable conditions while providing operators with actionable process insight. From pilot validation and first industrial runs through to full-scale production, the system delivers repeatable performance without increasing operational complexity.
“Industrial fermentation succeeds when performance is repeatable, day after day,” says Rafael Barros, Director of the New Food Business Stream at Tetra Pak. “Tetra Pak® Bioreactor RF is designed to reduce operational risk and remove complexity, helping operators stay in control.”
Tetra Pak® Bioreactor RF is pre-assembled and factory-tested, enabling faster installation and commissioning, while reducing disruption to production planning. Its integrated platform design removes the need for separate support structures, lowering installation costs and complexity. These features can help reduce investment costs by up to 8% compared with conventional industrial bioreactors2.
At the core of Tetra Pak® Bioreactor RF is a patented magnetic agitation system that removes the need for mechanical seals, a common source of contamination risk and process instability in conventional designs. Unlike traditional magnetic agitators, which can struggle to maintain power as vessel size increases, Tetra Pak’s patented system is designed to maintain power and oxygen transfer across the full size range. This helps maintain stable process conditions and reduce the risk of batch loss, typically valued at around €1,000 per m³3.
High levels of automation further simplify operation. Self-adjusting control functions help stabilise conditions as processes evolve, reducing the need for manual intervention. Combined with predefined operating strategies and integrated data monitoring, this enables operators to run processes more efficiently and with greater visibility.
Overall, the combination of simplified operation, reduced contamination risk and improved process stability can help producers lower operational costs by up to 12%4.
Available in sizes from 10 to 50,000 litres5, all Tetra Pak® Bioreactor RF units use the same design platform, control logic and operating philosophy. This consistency simplifies operator training and day-to-day operation across sites and production scales. The modular configuration also allows producers to adapt alarm thresholds, impellers and configurations as process needs evolve, without adding unnecessary system complexity.
Supported by Tetra Pak’s industrial processing expertise and global service network, Tetra Pak® Bioreactor RF gives producers of fermentation-derived ingredients and New Food products a stable, easy-to-operate foundation for industrial scale fermentation.
Find out more about Tetra Pak® Bioreactor RF here.
Media contacts
Ellie Carsley
Brands2Life for Tetra Pak
Tel: +44 (0)20 7592 1200
tetrapakcorporate@brands2life.com
1 Based on a baseline OPEX cost of ca. €2,870,000. Savings from ease-of-use and automation: Five instead of eight (baseline) FTEs = annual OPEX savings of ca. €219,000. Magnetic agitator expected to reduce contamination probability from the 5% of conventional solutions to 1% = annual OPEX savings of ca. €121,000. Total OPEX savings: €340,000 / €2,870,000 = 12%.
2 Commissioning of bioreactors typically takes twelve weeks. A Tetra Pak® Bioreactor RF solution typically requires around six weeks. Estimated savings are based on a daily cost of €1,500, resulting in commissioning cost savings of up to €45,000. Platforms represent around 12% of the investment cost for regular bioreactors. The compact design of Tetra Pak® Bioreactor RF reduces platform costs by 60%, corresponding to a €280,000 saving with a 4-million-euro scenario. Combined savings amount to up to €325,000, equivalent to approximately 8% of the total CAPEX.
3 Average between two scenarios. 1) titer of 30 g/L, DSP recovery of 65%, price of 45 EUR/kg = 975 EUR/kg. 2) titer of 100 g/L, DSP recovery of 65% & 17 EUR/kg.
4 Based on a baseline OPEX cost of ca. €2,870,000. Savings from ease-of-use and automation: Five instead of eight (baseline) FTEs = annual OPEX savings of ca. €219,000. Magnetic agitator expected to reduce contamination probability from the 5% of conventional solutions to 1% = annual OPEX savings of ca. €121,000. Total OPEX savings: €340,000 / €2,870,000 = 12%.
5 Vessels of larger size can be built upon request.
