Brussels, 27/06/2000 (Agence Europe) - A research project between four small and medium-sized companies (two German, one Portuguese and one Spanish) as well as the phytopathology department of the "Staatliche Lehr- und Forschungsanstalt für Landwirtschaft, Gartenbau und Weinbau", has allowed finalisation of a new cork manufacturing process. The process, which makes it possible to destroy most of the microbial substances which gather in cork (Ed. Cork is only harvested every nine or ten years and stocked before being compressed for cork manufacture), should practically eliminate the taste of cork as long as bottling is well done and wine bottles are stored in good conditions. The economic impact of this will be substantial as a large quantity of wine, of a value of EUR 500 million, has so far been lost each year further to microbial or chemical contamination from corks. Costing a total of EUR 998,000 this research project was financed at 50% by the European Commission through the CRAFT programme which is specifically addressed to SMEs. The latter are increasingly numerous in their participation in European research projects (their rate of participation increased by 20% in 1999).
This new technique, which uses microwaves, has been patented and the first commercial samples were distributed at the beginning of the year by an SME located in the Porto region. The result of European research will be presented on 29 June in Porto on the occasion of the Third SME Technology Days, organised at the initiative of the Portuguese Council Presidency. This demonstration will be inaugurated by Portuguese Minister José Gago, Commissioner Philippe Busquin and MEP Elly Plooij-van Gorsel (Dutch Liberal).