Tetra Pak Filtration

Food producers are launching new products based on milk, whey, and plants at a high pace to match consumer trends. What is most optimal: test at Tetra Pak or rent a pilot plant?

The key to success with product development is knowledge about the pre-treatment of the raw materials and about how the individual components of the raw materials are separated with the greatest possible precision to be reassembled into new foods. Membrane filtration plays the main role in these processes.

To match the innovation pace of food producers, Tetra Pak Filtration Solutions has opened a new product development center in Aarhus, Denmark, this year, and at the same time increased its fleet of pilot plants that are rented out to customers.

- The advantage of testing new solutions and products in our product development center is that the food producer does not have to dedicate a lot of resources to the task, says Hanne Sørensen, Product Manager, Food and Beverage based Applications, PhD, who is leading several development projects within plant based filtration solutions.

A trial typically requires one month of preparation, while the trials run intensively over a week. Tetra Pak Filtration Solutions designs the trials together with the food producer, handles the raw materials, performs the trials, and delivers the finished solution. - Customers can choose how much they want to be involved in the trial. Either by being present in the product development center and work with our experienced food technologists and engineers to develop the new products and adapt the production processes. Or they can participate virtually. Then, our employees run the trials themselves and

send information and data to the customer on an ongoing basis, she says.

Examples of tests are fractionation of milk and plant proteins, removal of bacteria, concentration of dry matter, recovery and concentration of proteins, and removal of salts. The cleaning of the filtration system also requires great expertise.

Through Tetra Pak's international setup of product development centers and customer innovation centers, we help our customers with the entire process behind new product launches. - In the product development centers, focus is on the technical solutions, while in the six customer innovation centers, which are located in Europe, the USA, and Asia, we develop the product concept; from idea to branding and launch, so that the product stands out on the shelves, she says.

The setup in the product development center is adapted to each individual test using pilot plants. After the tests, Tetra Pak can dimension an industrial membrane filtration system. - The time and resources that the customer saves in-house by letting us do the work is usually not a visible expense in the accounts. The only "disadvantage" for the customer by using our product development center is that money must be put on the table. The advantage is that we have many years of experience gathered in one place in running many different applications, just as we continuously test which membranes are best suited for which applications, explains Hanne Sørensen.

Tetra Pak Filtration Solutions offers several types of easy-to-use pilot plants that food producers can use themselves. Including spiral wound membrane pilot plants, ceramic membrane pilot plants, and plate and frame pilot plants for a range of dairy and plant based applications that use membrane filtration. - Pilot plants are also a really good solution that allows customers to innovate and develop new products that they can bring to market and test changed process parameters, she says.

Tetra Pak sends the pilot plant to the location and delivers drawings of the system. If the company so wishes, the start-up of the pilot plant is offered as well as training in using it. The company can then perform tests on its own raw materials with its own staff, and with its own packaging.

The results from pilot test can be converted to production on an industrial scale.

Anitha Rasmussen, Senior Application Technologist, and Hanne Sørensen, Product Manager, Food and Beverage based Applications, PhD, together with specialist teams from Tetra Pak Filtration Solutions help food producers design and carry out filtration tests within milk and plant based foods.

Contact us at: Tetra Pak Filtration Solutions Phone +45 8720 0840 E-mail Filtration.info@tetrapak.com

Tetra Pak’s membrane filtration test facilities in Aarhus, Denmark, and rental pilot plants provide you the flexibility to innovate when and where it suits you. Combined with decades of expertise, you’ll have countless, advanced possibilities to expand your plant based, milk, and whey based product portfolio.