EMERGING FOOD PRESERVATION TECHNOLOGY REQUIRES PRECISION
CONTROL
Our ability to preserve food has a long history - with more recent developments being
directed by the desire to maintain nutritional value in addition to the original taste and
texture of the food. Research in this field within the UK is helping to develop new
techniques that can be applied on an industrial scale and one company at the forefront
of this field is Campden BRI.
Based in Gloucestershire, Campden BRI conducts research and development work for
the food and drinks industry worldwide which involves not only fine tuning new
technologies but also up-scaling them for commercial production. This work is
supported by collaborative partners such as Bürkert Fluid Control Systems, who offer
expert advice on the physical process components and control apparatus.
Mr Mark Lilley, Field Segment Manager, Hygienic - Food and Beverage, looks at the
up and coming technologies for food preservation and the control infrastructure that
may be required to deliver a reliable and efficient process.
Ohmic Heating
Application of ohmic heating within industrial processes is now well advanced,
especially in the food, pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors, where the
efficiencies have already been proven. The process involves applying an electrical
current directly through the product to be heated and it is the electrical resistance of
the product which causes the increase in temperature.
Since the whole product is acting as the conductor, the energy is released throughout
the product rather than at its surface, making it extremely efficient; in fact, modern
production facilities claim up to 95% efficiency for this process. In addition, this method
of heating greatly reduces the thermal shock to the product compared to traditional
methods, which improves the retention of taste and colour within the food.
From a control perspective, accurate temperature measurement is essential as well as
precise flow control of the product to ensure a continuous and consistent production
rate. Use of a PT100 temperature sensor combined with a controller such as the
Bürkert Type 8619 multiCELL can be used not only to control the process but also to
record process data as part of the quality control regime.
Flow control of the food product can be achieved to a high level of precision thanks to
a range of intelligent control valves supported by process controllers. These can also
be used to manage Clean-In-Place (CIP) processes which require the use of
automated control valves that are integrated with the main production control system
and designed to withstand the high temperatures and aggressive cleaning media.
High Pressure Processing (HPP)
In essence HPP is a cold pasteurization technique using cold water at extremely high
pressure, around 3000 to 7,000 bar, to kill vegetative bacteria by damaging the cell
membrane of the organism and proteins within the organism. This can maintain the
original flavour and consistency of the food and provides an extended shelf life without
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the use of heating or preservatives, which makes HPP well suited for preserving the
'fresh' characteristics of a food.
The control of the process requires a number of valves and controllers to supply the
cold water and to evacuate the vessel after each batch has been processed. However,
for such a high pressure application, some of these will be specialist pieces of
equipment, while the remainder can be specified to suit both the application and to
allow integration into the control infrastructure of the processing plant.
Pulsed Light Processing
Work is ongoing to develop this technology within the food industry. Pulsed light
processing can offer a significant extension to shelf life for products which would
normally have a very short shelf life and are susceptible to mould growth, such as
baked goods. Using a surface treatment can deliver a modest reduction in microbial
numbers which is sufficient to offer considerable improvements in shelf life. Over 100
applications are now in use industrially – mainly for packaging decontamination. Much
greater inactivation can be achieved on smooth surfaces such as packaging.
Pulsed Electric Fields
This technology can be applied to liquid products which are pumped through a pulsed
electric field at mildly elevated temperatures and then cooled rapidly. The process kills
bacteria, yeasts and moulds while retaining the freshness, taste, vitamins and colour of
the food product. Precise control improves efficiency
Clearly, the control of the temperature, pressure and flow of the product needs to be
carefully maintained in order to offer a consistent, high quality, final product for the
consumer. Bürkert has provided a range of control and monitoring systems which are
specifically designed to meet this specification and also ensure that the necessary
standards in process data collection are met.
As food preservation technology advances so the process control infrastructure needs
to keep pace and continue to deliver improvements in hygiene and efficiency.
Furthermore the increases in the amount of information available from local devices
can improve the feedback for control loops and provide better information for
increasingly sophisticated plant visualisation, management and reporting software.
As the research and development of new food processing techniques continues, so
Bürkert maintains its own development of fluid control systems, offering its expertise to
promote an integrated approach that will ensure compatibility with existing production
facilities.
About BÜRKERT
Bürkert Fluid Control Systems is one of the leading manufacturers of control and
measuring systems for fluids and gases. The products have a wide variety of
applications and are used by breweries and laboratories as well as in medical
engineering and space technology. The company employs over 2,500 people and has
a comprehensive network of branches in 36 countries world-wide.
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The image(s) distributed with this press release may only be used to accompany this
copy, and are subject to copyright. Please contact DMA Europa if you wish to license
the image for further use.
Editor Contact
DMA Europa Ltd. : Roland Renshaw
Tel: +44 (0)1562 751436
Fax: +44 (0)1562 748315
Web: www.dmaeuropa.com
Email: [email protected]
Reader Contact
Bürkert Fluid Control Systems : Helen Christopher
Tel: +44 (0)1285 648720
Fax: +44 (0)1285 648721
Web: www.burkert.co.uk
Email: [email protected]
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