With the world still adapting to post-pandemic consumer demand for “farm-to-plate freshness”, variety and convenience, pumps manufacturer Verder notes there are two factors that continue to drive innovation in food technology: the need for safe and shelf-stable food.

“These drivers are further fuelled by the need to achieve environmentally sustainable production facilities, and contribute to company, sector and national carbon reduction targets and net-zero objectives, while remaining profitable,” says Verder hygienic pump specialist Eddie le Roux.

He highlights, “to achieve all this, the food manufacturing industry must continue to seek out innovative processing operations”.

The challenges of population growth, climate change, and shifting consumer demand puts technological innovations at the forefront of sustainable food processing.

Consequently, there are three key innovations that are replacing heat and chemicals to keep food fresh and safe, while shaping the future of processing.

“The first is high-pressure processing, which rapidly kills vegetative microbes and inactive viruses while denaturing enzymes that can cause food to spoil,” explains Le Roux.

This batch process applies high pressures of as much as 100 000 psi after packaging, minimising food treatment time and preserving nutrition and flavour.

The second is fermentation, which, while it is one of the oldest food preservation processes, is another area where innovative technologies can improve sterility, prevent cross-contamination and ensure sustainability.

Le Roux points out, “the newest application of fermentation is the production of cultured, or cell-based, and mycelial protein products, which alleviate the pressure on large-scale animal husbandry to produce enough animal protein to ensure food security”.

These alternative protein production technologies also reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.

Le Roux elaborates, noting that although this is not ‘mainstream’ yet, sterility is paramount in food production facilities, where clean-in-place (CIP) and sterilisation-in-place (SIP) are crucial.

The third is aseptic processing and packaging, that removes the need for refrigeration during transport, and in stores, for a variety of animal and plant-based products, such as liquid eggs, soup, purees and more.

Filling sterilised containers, in a sterile environment, with product that has been sterilised has resulted in improvements in shelf stability.

Le Roux notes that this kills microbes in the food and prevents these microbes from being reintroduced during packaging.

“Pumping solutions are often overlooked as an opportunity for improved shelf stability, cost reduction and [enhanced] production capacity. But they are integral to every industrial processing facility,” he asserts.

In the case of high-pressure processing, the “right” high-pressure or hygienic pumping solutions are also crucial to food safety.

First and foremost, the pumping solution cleanability requirements must be designed to meet international and local hygiene standards – including CIP and SIP – as these can present many challenges for processors.

“This is where hygienic pumps with a modular design can be integrated, allowing for streamlined disassembly, cleanability and reassembly,” Le Roux adds.

A particular risk in fermentation processing facilities is cross-contamination. Le Roux explains that it can be mitigated against through careful equipment selection.

Fit-for-purpose hygienic pumping solutions that have been designed to eliminate any risk of contaminants are necessary for producers that want to stay ahead of the advances in fermentation technology.

Le Roux reiterates that “as the food and beverages industry continues to evolve to ensure that food is safe, shelf-stable and tasty, manufacturers must ensure their processes are reliable, repeatable and error-free”.

Integrating the right equipment is critical to food safety and sustainable production, as the technical aspects of selecting the right pumping solutions for specific applications can be complex.

Le Roux concludes that food and beverage processors should, therefore, look to a trusted and reputable brand that can provide solutions that are long-lasting, cost-effective and efficient.