To submit a news item for inclusion, please contact Suzanne Christiansen at suzanne@bellpublishing.com or Maddy Barron at maddy@bellpublishing.com.

• GEA makes improvements towards eco-friendly manufacturing at its sites in India
• Tetra Pak launches solution to eliminate foam from liquid protein mixing
• Baumer offers bubble detecting sensors to optimise pumps
• New vacuum pump from Leybold designed for industrial applications
• $5.87 million in grant funding awarded to dairy processors

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The installation of the photovoltaic panels, which use heat-safe photovoltaic technology, marks an important contribution to the use of renewable energy sources for operations. With a total installed capacity of 811 kilowatt peak (KWp), nearly 50 % of the power needs of all GEA-owned properties in India are covered by solar energy.

Johannes Giloth, chief operating officer (COO) of GEA, said, “Fostering solar power at our Bengaluru and Vadodara sites is a significant step forward in our global sustainability strategy, enhancing our operational efficiency. This initiative reinforces our commitment to reducing carbon emissions and showcases GEA’s dedication to being a leader in eco-friendly manufacturing practices.”

Commitment to safety and holistic sustainable practices

Safety has been paramount throughout the implementation of GEA’s solar power project. Solar panels with back glass and special features have been used to mitigate risks such as overheating and power surges, ensure optimal performance and protect against potential hazards such as fire incidents. Moreover, all installations at both sites comply with global safety standards, demonstrating GEA’s commitment to industry-leading safety protocols and sustainable initiatives.

In addition to solar power, GEA has implemented several other sustainable projects at its Indian sites, including the installation of LED lighting, wastewater recycling, waterless toilets, and the promotion of electric and hybrid vehicles across its supply chain. These efforts underscore GEA’s determination to advance sustainable practices.

Suvneet Jain, Country Managing Director of GEA in India, added, “By investing in photovoltaic installations at all viable locations in the Vadodara and Bengaluru units, we are not only reducing our carbon footprint but also setting an example for the industry in India. Harnessing solar energy reflects our commitment to environmental stewardship and creating a sustainable future for generations to come.”

About GEA’s sites in Bengaluru and Vadodara

GEA’s Bengaluru site specializes in manufacturing equipment for the Separation and Flow Technologies division. The multi-purpose complex in Bengaluru covers an area of 38,200 square meters and includes production areas and a service and training center for the business unit Separation. Approximately 200 workers are employed in Bengaluru, and more than 50 percent of the products are exported.

GEA’s office and production site in Vadodara is staffed by a total of 700 employees and focuses on the technologies from GEA’s divisions Liquid & Powder, Food & Healthcare, and Heating & Refrigeration Technologies. Over 50 percent of the products are exported to other countries in Asia. Covering a manufacturing complex spanning over 40,700 square meters, a site improvement program since 2018 has already enhanced sustainable practices. In 2021, the first photovoltaic systems were installed to generate energy for the office areas. Today, all GEA-owned properties in India use solar energy.

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To submit a news item for inclusion, please contact Suzanne Christiansen at suzanne@bellpublishing.com or Maddy Barron at maddy@bellpublishing.com.

• Tetra Pak unveils new “Factory Sustainable Solutions” approach to help reduce energy and water consumption
• GEA to exhibit new technology at International Cheese and Dairy Expo
• Exhibiting at the Expo
• A sparkling speaker for the Expo

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Specifically designed for the removal of bacteria in milk and whey applications, the Ecoclear I is especially impactful in eliminating spores which might otherwise survive thermal treatment.

Also on the stand will be GEA’s hygienic valves and pumps product experts to discuss any queries relating to the company’s dairy technology and offering visitors a visual tour of the wider dairy range GEA has to offer. GEA will also introduce its new sustainable Add Better range of “resource efficient solutions.”

GEA has had a long association with the cheese show, supporting the event and sponsoring key awards. This year’s newly expanded show is an exciting step forward for the industry in the UK, bringing together the International Cheese and Dairy Awards and The Dairy Industries Expo, creating one big event dedicated solely to the dairy industry.

The new format has provided the perfect opportunity for GEA to showcase its versatile equipment. Paul Leeman, Sales Director at GEA’s Separation and Flow Technologies (SFT) unit commented: “The GEA SFT team are looking forward to connecting with others in the industry and sharing some of our innovative new technology, along with some of our wider dairy solutions. We are excited to be exhibiting this year and we’re anticipating a great show.”

Visitors to the show can find GEA at Stand 1325 at the International Cheese and Dairy Expo, 27 June, Staffordshire County Showground.

For more information visit https: gea.com/en/

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To submit a news item for inclusion, please contact Suzanne Christiansen at suzanne@bellpublishing.com or Maddy Barron at maddy@bellpublishing.com.

• Meet the speakers
• Eurodia to attend Anuga FoodTec fair with its latest product: the D90 Neo process
• Vilvi Group invests €50 million in Latvian cheese production
• Indian camelid milk symposium highlights benefits
• New technology for homogenisation from GEA
• GEA introduces separator innovations enhance dairy production efficiency

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CattleEye is an artificial intelligence system designed to quickly detect and predict lameness in cows and to provide critical data to assess the body condition score. It reflects whether animals are properly fed and in good physical condition. Next to mastitis, lameness is a major disease in dairy cows that can lead to infertility and ultimately affect milk yield. By using this AI-based software, farmers can take immediate action to improve the animal welfare and productivity.

The CattleEye system combines a 2D camera with specialised software that analyses cow movement and body score patterns. Farmers gain unparalleled insight into their herd’s health. The system can be integrated into both new and existing farms, regardless of the type of milking system.

Peter Lauwers, CEO of the GEA Farm Technologies Division: “With the trend towards larger and more automated dairy farms, the need to monitor and track animals and production is becoming increasingly important. By adding CattleEye’s advanced AI technology, we are expanding our DairyNet portfolio for modern herd management. This can be a game changer for farmers to improve herd health, farm productivity and financial stability.”

Artificial intelligence supports animal health & welfare CattleEye was founded in 2019 by repeat AgTech entrepreneur Terry Canning, the son of a dairy farmer, and Adam Askew, a senior software architect with over 10 years of experience using deep learning image analytics to detect cancerous tumors. Launched in April 2021, the system is currently being used to monitor over 100,000 cows worldwide.

“CattleEye was born out of a vision to harness the capabilities of advanced artificial intelligence in video analytics to revolutionise the dairy industry. After starting our partnership last year, we are thrilled that GEA will be using and developing this innovative solution with our team to improve animal welfare and drive positive change in the industry,” says CEO & Co-Founder Terry Canning

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The GEA NiSoMate inline quality monitoring system combines dedicated sensors. These are bundled in a single unit that is installed directly on the homogeniser. With precision measurement accuracy, the homogenisation effect on the respective liquids can be displayed in real time without touching the product. The sensor system employs an ultrasound-based “beamforming array” technology that was engineered by GEA homogenisation experts for this purpose. The system allows physical product properties such as density, consistency change and dilution to be derived. These parameters can be read by an external process control which can then take appropriate actions. Consequently, operators can monitor the process directly on the production line and adjust the performance of the system accordingly, without having to wait for laboratory samples results. The GEA NiSoMate also eliminates unnecessary detours, product waste or over-setting of high pressure, resulting in significant overall resource savings.

With the GEA NiSoMate, users can also achieve their overall production goals much faster, especially when processing new types of liquids. In addition, pre-configured recipes can be used and set for a faster process flow once an in-situ fingerprint has been analyzed for the respective starting product. This enables faster development of new recipes and therefore faster production of new products, offering a competitive edge, especially in food, new food and pharmaceutical applications.

Since the new technology combines several sensors in one system, it ensures a more accurate, reliable and robust product evaluation. The collected data can be transferred to existing monitoring systems and dashboards and used for further analysis and process optimization. Appropriate modules have been predisposed in the system for the integration of AI, which in the future will allow self-optimization of the plant and process.

The GEA NiSoMate can be used in all GEA homogenisers – from laboratory units to large industrial plants – and is also available as a retrofit for existing plants.

Trade fair highlight: lectures on the new system

Attendees at Anuga FoodTech can gain deeper insights into the new technology from GEA homogenization expert and Product Manager Annachiara Tonelli, who will discuss GEA NiSoMate in detail at 9:30 am on Thursday 21 March 2024, on the main stage of the trade show.

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“Sustainability, connectivity, digitalization – we are stepping up to the plate, addressing these issues with tailor-made solutions,” confirms Christian Becker, product manager separation dairy at GEA. “Our customers need centrifuges that not only deliver maximum efficiency using minimal resources but are also able to function regardless of the operators’ skill level. Centrifuges have to become intelligent to work more sustainably and, going forward, autonomously.” The GEA separator innovations presented at the Anuga FoodTec trade show are helping dairies move in this direction.

Consistent output and low-energy drives for bacteria removal 

Equipped with the latest drive generation, the GEA ecoclear i bacteria removal separator is ideally suited to small to medium-sized dairies. These businesses require cost-effective, service-friendly solutions that enhance dairy product quality and extend shelf life. Removing bacteria and spores from milk and whey is crucial for minimizing production losses and reducing waste, contributing to a more sustainable and profitable industry. The key innovation is the integrated direct drive. It transmits the drive power directly to the bowl, considerably reducing energy consumption. Nor does it require any transmission, belt or coupling, which might reduce efficiency and be subject to wear and tear. Both spindle and engine are mounted in a drive cartridge and, as a modular exchange unit, can be easily maintained on site. The new integrated direct drive is now also available for the GEA ecocream i skimming and GEA ecoclean i clarifying separators.

Low running speeds reduce energy consumption by 40 percent

When weighing up capital expenditure against operating costs, high electricity and water prices are tipping the balance toward the latter. The sustainable line of GEA’s MSI skimming separators with GEA EngySpeed is catalyzing a paradigm shift in separator design. In place of smaller yet higher-speed centrifuges, which are still standard in many places, larger bowl volumes are now coming to the fore. For dairies, this means the same clarification area at lower speeds and using less power. Maintenance intervals are likewise extended – particularly for the drive assemblies – because the lower mechanical load causes significantly less wear on the drive. The EngySpeed system reduces the energy consumption of GEA’s MSI series milk skimmers by up to 40 percent. Rule of thumb: 10 percent lower speeds translate to 20 percent lower energy consumption.

Christian Becker cites the example of a medium-sized dairy from one of the target markets Poland: “If we go one machine size up for standardizing 25,000 liters of milk per hour, we require around 39 percent less energy. At approximately 6,000 operating hours per year, EngySpeed would save the dairy some 65,000 kilowatt hours per separator and, subject to the energy mix on site, reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 43 tons.[1] Depending on electricity prices, the larger centrifuge would pay for itself within two to four years.”

Digital process control enhances energy efficiency

Digitalization – from real-time monitoring and service assistance to self-learning, AI-based plant optimization – is also spurring more sustainable production processes. Dairy products represent a critical area where individual AI solutions are already generating tangible added value for customers.

For the dairy industry, GEA is launching its KPInsight digital assistance system for separators as a new product in the GEA InsightPartner family. While conventional condition monitoring solutions consider centrifuge condition, KPInsight gives an overview of the milk and whey centrifuges’ performance. A clearly organized dashboard provides a real-time overview of process efficiency based on key parameters, such as production volumes, energy consumption, discharging and CIP cycles. Trend analyses covering a 30-day period indicate anomalies and process discrepancies, to which operators are able to respond immediately.

“KPInsight makes it possible to optimize dairy separation processes faster and smarter,” says product manager sales Thomas Veer, GEA Business Unit Separation. “Our advanced data analysis identifies correlations between events that influence centrifuge performance. Thanks to our intuitive dashboard, these analyses are easy to follow. In this way, we enable dairies to operate their separators with consistently high output levels, increase separator availability, balance energy and water consumption and at the same time reduce product losses.”

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To submit a news item for inclusion, please contact Suzanne Christiansen at suzanne@bellpublishing.com or Maddy Barron at maddy@bellpublishing.com.

• Setting up for the Expo
• Feige Filling to showcase at Anuga Foodtec
• GEA introduces new control system for centrifuges
• Alfa Laval introduces free rotating retractor
• Goudsmit develops compact 12,000 gaus pipe magnet separator in stainless steel housing
• Registration is now open for the International Cheese & Dairy Expo

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GEA introduces X Control, a new control system for centrifuges. This brings significant improvements in terms of integration, connectivity, data processing and safety. The new X Control lays the foundation for the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI). This will make data collection and analysis faster and easier in the future, including self-optimization of the entire system. The increased computing power will also improve integration into SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems. Cloud computing also opens up new possibilities for extended services, such as the provision of customized software functions. The new X Control will initially be introduced for selected individual machines. Availability for other GEA centrifuge types will be continuously expanded during the course of the year.

Where the new automation is heading 

With the new generation of control systems, GEA is taking an important step towards intelligent automation. “Machine controls have evolved rapidly in recent years. In the past, values were monitored and readjusted by hand or automated controllers. Today, we have reached a level where mass data is collected and analyzed with the utmost precision. The next step is self-learning systems,” explains Dieter Hille, Head of Automation & Controls at the GEA Business Unit Separation. The new centrifuge control therefore provides the basis for the integration of AI algorithms. This means that the control system recognizes patterns, draws conclusions and automatically transfers them to the control system.

Manufacturer-independent plug & produce concept 

Digitization is the driving force behind this development. The core elements, i.e. microcontrollers, and processors, are becoming ever faster and more powerful. The same applies to networks, bandwidths and transmission rates. Enormous amounts of data and information in a short period of time open up completely new possibilities for control systems. The new GEA X Control can use high computing power to implement new interfaces for integration into process line control systems. “This has an enormous impact on the ‘plug & produce’ capabilities of machines and components as well as their communication with each other and optimal interaction,” says Hille.

With the new control concept, GEA is increasingly relying on MTP (Module Type Package), i.e. manufacturer-independent communication between components and systems. This enables users to adapt their processes even faster and more efficiently to changing market requirements by integrating all process steps quickly and easily.

New opportunities in the area of cloud computing

The new GEA X Control also brings important improvements in terms of cloud computing: permanent connectivity allows both extensive process data storage outside the machine control system and linking with other relevant data for the machine and the process. “This makes calculations and evaluations more complex and precise. The knowledge gained here can then be transferred back to the machine control system as instructions for action,” says Hille.

With the new GEA X Control, new customer requirements can be met faster and better in the future. High throughput and the best product quality are still priorities. “But resource conservation, such as water and energy savings, and a verifiable CO₂ footprint are also important issues. And with GEA X Control, we now have even more levers at our disposal to ensure and record this in detail,” says Hille.

Improved services

With X Control, GEA can customize its services by connecting to the GEA cloud. Acute, planned and proactive services can be performed remotely as needed. Process analysis and optimization or the installation of new software functions can also be performed remotely.

In order to provide customers with the fastest possible service and to ensure the availability of skilled personnel, GEA is already deploying some of its automation and service technicians across all divisions worldwide. This will be expanded in the future. The new centrifuge control system will ensure consistent harmonization with other divisions, such as GEA Liquid & Powder Technologies (LPT). “The HMI is based on GEA Codex^®, a scalable automation solution for process control levels and product control systems developed by GEA LPT, which in turn is based on ISA 101. This industry standard visualization ensures vendor-independent compatibility. Standardization also means speed gains in engineering. Customized applications can be implemented more quickly. In this way, the customer receives hardware and software from low cost to premium for the automation solution of his choice,” explains Hille.

Compliant with cyber security requirements

The GEA X Control meets the growing requirements for IT security. The development process is TÜV-tested and certified according to IEC 62443-4-1. The new GEA X Control generation includes various optional cyber security levels – adapted to specific customer requirements. Regular updates – similar to a computer operating system – ensure continuous security of the plant IT.

Launch for individual machines – expansion by the end of 2024

The new GEA X Control will initially be introduced for selected separator and decanter types for the dairy and renewables industry from the first quarter of 2024. During the year, other centrifuge types will follow, and by the end of the year, all new machines will be equipped with the new control system.

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The new system will use heat pumps with spray dryers, which is a new method for both companies. In addition to the ammonia heat pump for the spray dryer, GEA is providing a second heat pump that supplies hot water at 85°C to heat the entire production line and run the various dehydration processes, as well as cold water at 1.5°C to air-condition the factory.

All this is estimated to reduce carbon emissions and energy for steam production significantly.

Here at Dairy Industries International, we will also be looking at new technologies for the sector, at the International Cheese and Dairy Expo, set for 27 June in Stafford, UK. Along with the Society of Dairy Technology Symposium and Dinner on 26 June and the ICDA Awards and networking lunch, it promises to be a solid two days of all things dairy in the UK. Don’t miss it! Please contact Samantha Bull for ways to get involved, ranging from exhibiting to speaking: sam@bellpublishing.com.

• Suzanne Christiansen, editor, Dairy Industries International.
  Keep in touch via email: suzanne@bellpublishing.com
  Twitter: @dairyindustries or LinkedIn: Dairy Industries International magazine

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In response to increased demand for its Althera and Alfare infant formula brands, Nestlé is currently doubling production capacity at the Nunspeet plant with an additional processing line. For the first time, Nestlé will be using a GEA heat recovery system that is fed by exhaust air from the spray drying plant and, in turn, provides 80°C hot water for its operation. As part of the project, GEA will also equip the complete wet processing technology, which supplies the Nestlé spray drying line with the prepared milk. Installation of the process technology and heat supply system is planned for this year. The plant will go into operation in 2025.

Recovering waste heat from spray dryer to reduce energy consumption

Nestlé’s aim with the investment project is not only to increase capacity, but also to advance its sustainability agenda by reducing carbon emissions, dust emissions and water demand. Exploiting renewable heat energy is a focus of the company’s climate strategy.

“The new plant in Nunspeet will also serve as a Group-wide demonstrator for future-oriented solutions to minimize energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in milk powder production. We are already familiar with heat pumps in various production processes. But using them with spray dryers, the most energy-intensive part of the process, is something new for us. The GEA system enables us to reduce the plant’s steam consumption by 75%,” explains Gerben Koopmans, Engineering Manager at Nestlé. For these reasons, the project is executed with subsidy of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate.

Integrating process and heating/cooling technology

“Our integrated solutions combining process technology with heating and cooling technology set a new benchmark in milk powder production, because fusing the two disciplines in production planning and design implementation significantly reduces the plant’s energy consumption and carbon footprint,” says Ronald Hofland, GEA sales manager.

In addition to the ammonia heat pump for the spray dryer, GEA is providing a second heat pump that supplies hot water at 85°C to heat the entire production line and run the various dehydration processes, as well as cold water at 1.5°C to air-condition the factory. GEA’s process technology for the wet line includes state-of-the-art evaporators, inline formula mixers, a homogenizer, high-pressure and high-shear pumps, heat exchangers, valves, as well as all other connecting components and pipework. The heat pump system will provide this process technology with hot and cold water for maximum energy efficiency in operation.

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Occupational health protection via LoTo

Inadequately secured process plants are often the cause of accidents in production. If machines are switched on without authorization during maintenance, the stored energy, may it be hydraulic pressure, compressed air, gas, steam, electrical energy, or fluids, can be released and significantly damage the operating personnel and the equipment itself. Since the GEA Aseptomag double chamber valves act as a transfer points between process steps, they can be used to control the plant’s energy supply and secure it very effectively with LoTo.

“An increasing number of companies prefer this comparatively simple protection against the sudden release of residual energy, although legal obligations may differ from country to country,” explains Pascal Bär, Senior Director of Product Management for GEA’s aseptic valve technology. “Our Aseptomag valve is locked with a socket pin. The system doesn’t even require removing the control top.”

This is how LoTo works for aseptic double-chamber valves

For the aseptic double-seat valves, LoTo also comprises a mechanical lock (lockout) and a visual tag (tagout): The double-chamber valves GEA Aseptomag DK are equipped with a modified valve actuator that includes a special lantern and piston rod extension for the socket pin. To safely lock the valve, the operator inserts the socket pin into the lantern opening until the metallic stop is reached. This so-called disk lock principle prevents any movement of the actuator and valve disk. A red safety clamp around the threaded ring indicates that the subsequent process area is locked. In addition, a padlock is used for seamless identification and documentation.

GEA had already introduced the LoTo system for hygienic valve technology in 2021 and is now expanding its range to include the entire valve portfolio. Dairies, beverage, food, and new food manufacturers that process products at the highest level of hygiene can thus secure their plants consistently with LoTo.

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A cooperation to generate value for farmers

The GEA manure enricher enables dairy farms to produce environmentally friendly organic fertilizer locally on their farms just with their livestock slurry, air and electricity. Through innovative plasma technology, nitrogen from the air is added into the manure. At the same time, the manure enricher technology utilizes all available nutrients on the farm by reducing ammonia losses, that typically occur during storage and field application, by up to 95 percent. All nutrients including increased nitrogen is available to the plants in a targeted and immediate manner. Thus, plant growth is supported, and the crop yield can be increased by up to 40% compared to untreated manure. Moreover, methane emissions from manure storage are eliminated during the process. All these effects can reduce a farm’s overall carbon footprint by up to 30 percent.

“At Unilever we are convinced that technology and innovation is key to decarbonize the dairy industry“, says Eric Soubeiran, managing director – Climate and Nature Fund at Unilever. This partnership between four dairy farmers of our supplier CONO Kaasmakers, Unilever and GEA is a good illustration of creating a circular farm management system. By implementing this technology, we are deploying our regenerative strategy and support significant reduction of the carbon footprint of our dairy ingredients. This ultimately provides more sustainable products for our consumers.”

“An important part of our Next Generation Farming philosophy is to empower dairy farmers around the world to sustainably future-proof their operations in times of tight margins, environmental regulations and increasing complexity. And at the end of the day to produce milk and food more climate-friendly. Therefore, we are very pleased that Unilever has chosen GEA as partner, as this is an important endorsement for our innovative solutions,” says Peter Lauwers, CEO of GEA Farm Technologies. “As one of the world’s largest system suppliers for the food industry and frontrunner for sustainable change, we will put all our efforts together with Unilever on this manure enricher solution to promote circular farming.”

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High flexibility with dual function

With variable speeds of up to 3000 rpm, the self-priming positive displacement pump conveys lumpy, shear-sensitive and abrasive media particularly gently. It can handle liquids with an exceptionally wide range of viscosities. Since the GEA Hilge NOVATWIN+ operates almost without pulsation, it is also suitable for large and sensitive particles, for example, in the processing of cheese curds, quark, yogurt and high-protein beverages, as well as new in-demand plant-based products. 

“Especially the dairy industry with its complex products benefits from the dual function. Twin screw pumps can also serve as CIP pumps because they can be operated at very high speeds,” explains Stefan Andresen, GEA’s product manager for Positive Displacement pumps. “This means that manufacturers eliminate the need for an additional CIP pump or even the CIP return pump necessary with alternative solutions.” The system pressure of 30 bar also allows for use in high-pressure applications – another advantage for the dairy industry.

Quick servicing through patented screw adjustment

GEA’s pump experts have also simplified the maintenance of the NOVATWIN+ by integrating the blocking tool for tightening and untightening screws in the gearbox. This patented adjustment directly on the screws does not require oil drainage or complete disassembly of the pump.

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To submit a news item for inclusion, please contact Suzanne Christiansen at suzanne@bellpublishing.com or Maddy Barron at maddy@bellpublishing.com.

• Celebrating the milestone in science
• Dairy Industries Expo preview: the issue of water
• GEA introduces TÜV-validated ecolabel for spray dryers and dairy robots
• Remilk of Israel adds food industry executives to board
• Swiss cheese industry sees dip after 25 years of growth

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The label provides customers with a detailed overview of the improvements made, including how the Add Better product can help them reduce their ecological impact and reduce operating costs. GEA’s Add Better product evaluation process – from data collection to calculation and documentation – follows the ISO 14021:2016 requirements for environmental labels and declarations. GEA’s approach has been validated by TÜV Rheinland, a testing service provider.

GEA Group CEO Stefan Klebert says, “These product upgrades can significantly improve our customers’ resource and operational efficiency as well as help all of us achieve our sustainability targets.”

Sustainability is one of GEA’s key levers for future growth. By designating 2023 the “Year of Innovation in Sustainability”, GEA is striving to not only advance its climate action agenda but also accelerate the transformation of the mechanical engineering industry.

“The most effective way to reduce overall emissions is to make machinery, equipment and components more efficient for our customers. With the Add Better approach, we are also promoting our internal product development,” adds Dr. Nadine Sterley, GEA’s chief sustainability officer. “Therefore, our first three Add Better solutions are just the beginning. Other products that enable significant energy or water savings are already in the validation phase.”

GEA will continuously expand its Add Better portfolio through the addition of new solutions. The pipeline for the next validation round is already filled with proposals ranging from solutions for the bakery and beverage to the dairy industry.

One example is GEA’s AddCool technology, which can reduce a plant’s primary energy consumption by up to 49% in comparison to its predecessor. This corresponds to the average electricity consumption of approximately 8,650 two-person households per year. This is achieved by integrating high-temperature heat pump technology into existing spray drying processes, thereby dramatically reducing the reliance on fossil fuels.

Another is the Dairy Robot, which combines process automation with digitalisation. The Dairy Robot for automated milking requires up to 19% less energy compared to the predecessor mode

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To submit a news item for inclusion, please contact Suzanne Christiansen at suzanne@bellpublishing.com or Maddy Barron at maddy@bellpublishing.com.

• GEA inaugurates technology center for sustainable protein industry
• Vacuum on demand: Control system improves milking process efficiency, reliability and performance
• Michael Smith Engineers expands territory for Viking Pumps
• Alfa Laval launches new streamlined Unique Mixproof CIP and Process valves
• Lactalis switches hoses in Serbia and Croatia
• Electric belt hoists for the brining process

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Technology to ensure the commercial feasibility of new food products

The new testing platform at the ATC bridges the gap between the test bench and industrial-scale production without customers having to invest in large-scale plant from the outset.

“Establishing and scaling up a new food production facility is a major task,” said Heinz Jürgen Kroner, senior vice president New Food at GEA. “In many cases, new food producers are still stuck at the lab scale – with the hygiene, aseptic and process requirements that involves. On the other hand, industrial-scale manufacturing presents much greater technical and financial challenges. At the ATC, our process experts explore the potential for mass production in order to make this step manageable for food manufacturers. Ultimately, GEA and our customers want to work together on the development of safe, affordable New Food products for consumers.”

Rethinking meat and dairy products

With cell-based meat alternatives now making their way onto restaurant tables, the research focus is turning to precision fermentation for milk proteins. One of GEA’s first customers in this field is Imagindairy, a scale-up from Israel. Speaking at the opening event, the company’s CEO Eyal Afergan said: “We want to make dairy products without harming the planet. To make that happen, we harness the ancient art of fermentation and combine it with science. This lets us create milk proteins with the taste, functionality, mouthfeel and nutritional value that we love about milk. Together with GEA, we can pave the way to bringing this innovation faster to the market, with the highest possible quality standards.”

Alternatively sourced proteins can help reduce the environmental impact of our food system and help feed the world’s growing population. The shift to new food is going hand in hand with the development of regenerative agriculture.

New food: growth driver for GEA and the food industry

GEA’s new food activities unite the company’s sustainability agenda with the innovative capacity of one of the food industry’s leading technology providers. That’s why new food has been identified as one of the growth drivers in the GEA Mission 26 strategy. A dedicated New Food business unit has been furthering the development of cell-based protein synthesis since 2022.

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