Product innovations and process advancements are very active in the dairy processing line industry in North America, both for new and other products.
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A typical case is Gay Lea Foods, Ontario's largest dairy cooperative. Research and development scientists finally introduced three different products last year: dehydrated cheese, no cheese and coconut cream.
Nothing But Cheese, marketed under the dairy’s Ivanhoe label, strikes clean label and healthy snacking notes, though a shelf-stable cheese with almost all water removed is a concept that most consumers have difficulty wrapping their heads around. In-store sampling was used extensively during the rollout.
Two varieties—Monterey jack and cheddar—are produced at the coop’s plant in Madoc, Ontario, where a 100 kW version of EnWave Corp.’s dehydration system that applies microwaves under vacuum was commissioned this summer. A year-long development process from bench top to pilot to industrial-scale production preceded market introduction, according to Milena Corredig, vice president-R&D at the Mississauga, Ontario-based co-op.
Various cheeses were tested to determine the impact on color, texture and flavor before Monterey jack and cheddar were selected. Depending on cheese type, 35-50 percent of total weight is removed, (For each kilowatt rating, 1kg of water is removed per hour by the machine.) The semi-continuous process has simpler, significantly shorter cycle times and reduced energy consumption compared to freeze drying.
Completing the coop’s innovation trifecta is coconut whipped cream, a free-from product for people who like the idea of whipped cream but could do without the cream. Coconut fat is solid at room temperature, and that precluded the use of stabilizers but required different raw ingredients than conventional whipped cream. It’s non-dairy, gluten-free, cholesterol-free and lactose-free.
Chemical-free separation
Acid whey is described as the problem child of dairy separation, and because it is a byproduct of Greek yogurt production, it's a substantial problem. Low protein content is part of it, but acid whey also poses filtration challenges by coating and tightening membrane pores, extending process time and requiring additional maintenance if components with commercial value are to be recovered.
Ion-exchange and electrodialysis usually are used to remove minerals while isolating desirable components of the stream. Trish Choudhary saw problems with both, either because chemicals were used in the first process or because purity levels were less than ideal with the latter.
A research scientist in the biopharmaceutical industry, Choudhary had a personal stake: Her 3-year-old daughter suffered from severe anemia and had to avoid iron-rich foods. Whey powder and high-protein weight-loss drinks could deliver the protein she needed, but they also are high in sugar. Traditional ion exchange is typically used to produce them.
Assembling a development team that included electrical, mechanical and software engineers, Choudhary developed an electrical separation process that combines the best features of ion exchange and electrodialysis without the downside of chemicals.
E-Sep bundles six cells into each skid-mounted module, which usually is positioned downstream of ultrafiltration or reverse-osmosis equipment. Depending on the level of purity desired, a module might continuously process 200 gallons per hour, with additional modules added as volume requirements increase. Acid whey has a pH of about 4; regardless of the feed stream’s acidity, permeate exits at 5.5-5.8 pH.
Ice, ice baby
Technical advances languish when developers fail to provide a complete solution. Such was the case with ice pigging, a concept developed at the University of Bristol in the UK.
Suez Advanced Solutions, a London-based firm specializing in municipal water systems, licensed Bristol’s intellectual property and complemented it with a mechanical system to provide a turnkey solution seven years ago. Since then, the technology has cleared lime and other deposits in water lines running up to five miles.
Ice pigging failed to spread beyond water piping until recently, when Suez secured rights to commercialize it in other industries. A UK ice cream plant is the first non-municipal water application, according to Matthew Stephenson, business unit director, and Suez is in discussions with global dairy processors, several of which previously considered applying the technology but held back because the university could not provide an engineered solution.
A little magic goes a long way, whether it helps improve processes or creates novel dairy products. But don’t sell engineering and machinery short in making magic happen.
