Carbon zero food
processing
Opportunity, implementation and reality
Authors:
(left) Dr Wayne Martindale, Associate Professor, Enterprise & Food Insights and Sustainability
at the University of Lincoln’s National Centre for Food Manufacturing
(right) Chris Brooks, Development Chef, OAL
The dairy sector is experiencing pressure from governments
publishing decarbonisation strategies alongside
consumer demand for carbon zero products, set against
a backdrop of increasing producer, energy and labour
prices. All this has resulted in a pressure point where innovation to
reduce costs and provide market advantage is needed to survive.
Here, we report on our recent research, which explores how reducing
energy and improving the quality of dairy products can be
achieved while delivering real net zero outcomes.
17% reduction in energy consumption
A research paper centred on the novel Steam Infusion technology
that heats food materials and reduces the energy required for
heat processing soups, sauces and foods by at least 17% has been
published in the high impact research journal Foods. The focus of
this innovation is the heating that occurs within OAL’s In-Tank Vaction
™ Pump (see https://steaminfusion.oalgroup.com/, accessed
on 21 April 2020), which reduces processing energy, helping
manufacturers reach their carbon zero targets. The Vaction Pump
device directs steam into the food material within a much reduced
volume compared to traditional steam injection, decreasing the
use of steam and processing time required. As well as processing
energy consumption, the device can cut production time by 278
hours and reduce the carbon footprint of processing by 8.7 tonnes
of Greenhouse Gas emissions per heating kettle production line
each year. This all provides a commercial advantage, as well as
alignment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, specifically
SDG12, Responsible Production and Consumption.
The main direct energy consuming processes in the dairy industry
are involved in creating complex mixtures and emulsions
with ingredients like cheese, cream and whole milk. The Vaction
Pump technology delivers heat directly to food mixtures rather
than through a steam jacket, effectively dispersing and mixing ingredients
all while achieving a much more efficient heat transfer
(Figure 1), cooking the recipes faster. The research study reported
also considered how this technology improved flavours and stability
of the resulting products, identifying possible improved nutritional
value of products.
Although the increased rates of processing decrease, it was
the heating intensity experienced by a product through improved
heat transfer that was most important. This is because it resulted
in lower burning risk than can be associated with applied heat
indirectly through a steam jacket and scraping or mixing system,
especially important in dairy products where discoloration and
‘burnt’ flavours can drive away consumers.
Steam Infusion vs steam jackets
The comparison of the In-Tank Vaction Pump heating and mixing
technology with steam-jacketed vessels was carried out at
the National Centre for Food Manufacturing, UK, where there
is a permanent factory demonstrator. Figure 1 shows how the
Vaction Pump provides heating and dispersion of food during
processing. Multiple cycles through the In-Tank Vaction Pump
provide an overall temperature gradient up to 95 °C where the
product can be held at this temperature using an insulated covering
so that the food materials are pasteurised and are cooked
through to the required texture/consistency. The processing
prevents uncontrolled Maillard reactions and the resulting burnon
that can occur more readily with steam jacket heat transfer.
Figure 2 shows the Steam Infusion Vaction Pump system data log
for a 400 kg batch of chocolate sauce, while Figure 3 demonstrates
the results of a panna cotta and Béchamel sauce.
IDM ¦ Technology/IT
38 · January/February 2022 ¦ international-dairy.com
/
/international-dairy.com
