19­1­2016
Using CO2 to upcycle waste streams ­ Food Valley Society
Using CO2 to upcycle waste streams
After rapeseed or olive oil extraction, the cake that is left over contains
valuable proteins, antioxidants and oil residues. New technology from
FeyeCon uses CO2 to extract those substances. The method is energy
efficient and makes no use of chemical solvents. This sustainable
process can also be applied elsewhere in the food industry.
FeyeCon has developed excellent applications to repurpose
CO2resulting from various industrial processes. The company uses the
emissions to extract nutritional substances from waste streams and to dry fruits and vegetables. As a
produce­drying method, carbon dioxide is mild and has a minimal impact on flavor, color and texture.
The technology is based on the principle that, under specific conditions (at 31°C and 73 bar), carbon
dioxide becomes supercritical: a phase between liquid and gas. Supercritical CO2has a gas­like
viscosity and a liquid­like density. In this phase, CO2is able to absorb water molecules and various
organic molecules.
Lab and pilot scale
FeyeCon is a global player in the carbon dioxide technology market and develops new products as
well as new applications for those products. “CO2 technology has incredible potential,” says Cynthia
Akkermans, Food Group Team Leader at FeyeCon. “Not just for food applications, but also for dyeing
and cleaning textiles, producing natural extracts for the cosmetics industry and upcycling municipal
waste.” No wonder FeyeCon is active in five industries: food, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics,
textiles, polymers, and algae. The company is headquartered in the Netherlands and has ten joint
ventures in the Netherlands, Europe, Asia and the USA.
“We have both lab­scale and pilot­scale equipment in the Netherlands to develop all sorts of
processes,” says Akkermans. “We develop 1­on­1 product­process combinations. If something
works, we can scale it up. We do that together with our clients. We also participate in various large
projects with universities and other businesses. Several technologies that we pioneered have
resulted in spinoffs, like CO2Dry, for example. They’re specialized in using CO2 to dry and preserve
food products.”
Validation
Another of FeyeCon’s activities is upcycling waste streams from the food industry. For example,
FeyeCon can extract valuable substances from oil­cake left over from rapeseed and olive oil
production. “This process has generated a lot of interest,” says Akkermans. “Until recently, oil­cake
was sold as cattle feed. Our technology makes it possible to extract substances that are fit for human
consumption, which means oil manufacturers can get a better price for their side streams.”
Algae are also a source of valuable substances. “With our CO2technology, we can extract Omega­3
oils, proteins and dyes,” Akkermans continues. “This application has led to another spinoff, called
AlgaeBiotech.”
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19­1­2016
Using CO2 to upcycle waste streams ­ Food Valley Society
An innovative application of carbon dioxide technology is micro­encapsulation. “Micro­encapsulation
protects sensitive ingredients in a matrix and hence gives those ingredients new functionality,”
Akkermans explains. “For example, we might want to stabilize a flavor, dye, oil or protein. But the
technology can also be used for triggered release, which creates entirely new possibilities for
nutritional research. We can encapsulate certain substances in such a way that they are released in
pre­determined areas of the gastro­intestinal tract.”
CO2 technology can also be used to create textured fat crystals. FeyeCon worked with Unilever to
optimize this process, which resulted in a product called InstaTex. “This is a new, sustainable
ingredient that can be produced energy­efficiently using a carbon dioxide waste stream from another
line of business, like breweries,” Akkermans says. “InstaTex has great product properties and can be
used in margarines to lower their fat content. But we think it’s suitable for other food products too,
like bakery products, confectionery and chocolate.”
“In 2014, we transferred the IP from this project to Unilever. That’s how we work. We develop a new
technology plus applications in close collaboration with a client. FeyeCon is so much more than just
a research lab. We keep working on discovering new applications for our technology,” concludes
Akkermans.
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