Food waste processing development

Any post-consumer plastic stream will contain some halogens in the form of polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, brominated flame retardants, halogenated additives, food waste, or salt. Therefore, two issues must be considered. First, the gas stream resulting from the depolymerization of plastics must be scrubbed to remove any halogenated gases to satisfy emissions controls. Second, halogens in the liquid product must be minimized to increase its value and marketability. Therefore the Conrad process has been developed. It is a robust process unit that can accommodate a variable feedstream and produce a consistent product, free of nonhydrocarbon impurities by low feed preparation costs. 

Modern biotechnology, in combination with chemistry and process technology, is crucial for the development of new clean and cost effective mannfacturing concepts for fine-chemical, food specialty and pharmaceutical products. The impact of biocatalysis on the fine-chemicals industry is presented, where reduction of process development time, the number of reaction steps and the amount of waste generated per kg of end product are the main targets. Integration of biosynthesis and organic chemistry is seen as a key development. 

RO membrane separation has been traditionally used for seawater and brackish water desalination, and production of high-purity water for food, pharmaceutical processing and industrial waste treatment, as discussed in Chapter 1. The development of nanofiltration (NF) membranes has opened up many areas of apphcation including water softening, removal of disinfection by-product precurson (trihalomethanes), removal of total organic carbon (TOC), food processing and industrial water treatment [5]. 

The most promising waste water treatment methods are membrane separation processes. Developments in membrane technology have resulted in increased applications in many areas, such as the biochemical, food and beverage industries, including waste water reclamation. Interest in membrane technology for various industrial processes is growing noticeably, thanks to new technological innovations that enable it to become reliable and more economical than alternative systems. 

Food Biotechnology. 1987-. Philadelphia Taylor Francis (0890-5436). Online Informaworld (1532-4249). Focus is on developments and applications of modern genetics as well as enzyme, cell, tissue, and organ-based biological processes to produce and improve foods, food ingredients, and functional foods including fermentation to improve foods, food ingredients, functional foods, and food waste remediation. 

As new production processes develop, in parallel with the derivation of new products, then the decanter will be adapted to keep pace with such changes. Oil production and refining will continue to be a challenge to the decanter manufacturer, especially as production moves into less hospitable zones. There is a wealth of food, protein, biochemical and pharmaceutical applications awaiting the efficient clean-in-place process for decanters, while the increasing demands on municipal and industrial waste treatment will also add to the application range. If nuclear power returns to favour, then here also the decanter will have a part to play, especially once it is fully automated. The need to be able to process low-grade metal ores will also need help from the decanter. 

Grain that is usable as food or feed is an expensive substrate for this fermentation process. A cheaper substrate might be some source of cellulose such as wood or agricultural waste. This, however, requires hydrolysis of cellulose to yield glucose. Such a process was used in Germany during World War II to produce yeast as a protein substitute. Another process for the hydrolysis of wood, developed by the U.S. Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin, uses mineral acid as a catalyst. This hydrolysis industry is very large in the former Soviet Union but it is not commercial elsewhere. 

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