Emerging Technologies Bolster Food Processing
Four novel technologies—roasting combined with pasteurization, aseptic particle flow monitoring, microwave vacuum technology, and microencapsulation—will be featured at Session 208 “New Products & Technologies: New process technologies” on Tuesday morning, July 20, at 8:30–10 a.m. in Room S403ab.
The NR-CEP roasting and pasteurizing technology for nuts and oilseeds from Bühler Barth AG combines dry roasting with pasteurization. For pasteurization during the first roasting stage, the humidity of the hot air is increased, while the surface product temperature is below dew point temperature. Moisture condenses on the surface of the nuts as a film and pathogenic microorganisms are securely inactivated. After pasteurization, dry roasting continues and residual moisture is removed quickly from the product surface.
UltrAseptics particle flow monitoring system consists of conservatively designed simulated food particles optimized for flow and heat penetration properties and used as carriers for magnetic and thermo-sensitive tags and implants; a network of noncontact magnetic field sensor arrays located at critical detection locations on process installations for safety monitoring; proprietary amplifiers; data acquisition hardware and data monitoring; and display and recording software with a set of functions enabling capture, recording, display, and analyses of recorded data in real-time.
Radiant Energy Vacuum (REV) technology is based on the application of microwave energy under vacuum, and is emerging as an attractive alternative to freeze drying. Numerous published studies have demonstrated that the technique is capable of excellent retention of nutrients, flavor, bioactivity, viable dry bacteria, color, and product appearance. The first commercial-scale installation of the technology was at a blueberry drying plant in 2009.
While microencapsulation is commonly used in the food industry, a unique collaborative approach to product innovation may provide food companies with new ways to leverage different shell materials, unique release mechanisms, and different core capabilities (oil or water soluble, liquid or solid).