Project

Faster Upcoming Technology Uptake Relevant for the Environment in FOOds Drying

Acronym
FUTURE-FOOD
Code
41H08915
Duration
01 March 2015 → 28 February 2018
Funding
European funding: framework programme
Research disciplines
  • Agricultural and food sciences
    • Food packaging, preservation and safety
Keywords
food
Other information
 
Project description

Future Food aims at demonstration and first market application of an eco-innovative solution for sustainable food drying. The process makes use of high pressure CO2 technology as drying medium which enables efficient drying at close-to-ambient temperatures in absence of oxygen. Research and development studies have shown it feasibility of being an ecological and economical alternative to freeze-drying, for products categories vegetables and fruits, specialty ingredients such as proteins and biopolymers. Besides good preservation of a food quality, microbial inactivation occurs in situ which attributes to ensuring food safety. The main objectives are: (i) minimize risks that could prevent CO2 drying to enter the market and (ii) to demonstrate its market replication potential via a first application to the market. The base of the project is to provide on the one hand prototyped products and on the other prototyped process extensions that will increase the market potential. Prototyping processing elements will demonstrate the energy reduction of the process and the full width of applications at a pilot scale. By preparing three product prototypes the aim is to demonstrate the full potential of this technology to the industry at a foodgrade level, resulting in validation of the process.On the basis of the prototype assessments, in close conjunction with industrial (SME) parties, the process will be certified, (economically) validated and demonstrated to the industry. The final step is demonstrating the process in a near-operational environment to identify all the benefits for consumer and the food chain. By doing so, the drying process will evolve from a TRL 4-5 to a TRL 8. By intensive dissemination to increase visibility, the technology will disseminated to SME’ in Europe to maximize uptake of the technology in the market and realizating impact on sustainability, food safety and economy.

 
Role of Ghent University
In this project, Ghent University will assess and optimize the inactivation of both spoilage bacteria and pathogens during the drying process with supercritical CO2 for basil, coriander and raspberries. Microbial profiling will be done to validate the process at lab-scale. Microbial safety and quality of the product will be determined using parameters of inactivation rate, sub-lethal injury, recovery, resistance and potentially even virulence (WP 3). In addition, models may be developed to evaluate the products stability and shelf-life from a microbiological point of view (WP 4).