High quality specialty powders from secondary plant origin by novel CO2 drying

Mango and raspberry powder, dried with supercritical CO₂

Title

High quality specialty powders from secondary plant origin by novel CO2 drying

Duration

6 March 2020 / 28 February 2021

VIDA Challenges

Sustainable agriculture and efficient greenhouse management

Summary

In the market there is a need and desire from SME’s to implement sustainable CO₂ drying technology for specialty products, which allow for smaller scale operations to be possible and profitable. SME’s reply in this way to the client’s demand for tailor made small scale units. In this manner SME’s confirm their technological capabilities and serve the client’s expectations.

CO₂ drying is capable of drying and encapsulating products that cannot be processed by means of hot air spray or freeze drying. Hot air degrades valuable components such as pigments, aromas and vitamins. Freeze drying can dry products to a high quality, however at higher costs compared to CO₂ drying, and is not capable of encapsulation. CO₂ drying is therefore a low energy alternative for the production of high quality dry powders in the form or dry particles or encapsulates.

In this project, we will prepare machinery that will spray dry and yield encapsulates for food and cosmetic applications. Subsequently, SME’s will be able to respond to market requests for larger scale sample products for market introduction and demonstration as well as product qualification for specific applications. These specialty powders will be of plant origin, of high quality, and be produced in an energy efficient way.

This project consists of 4 partners, FeyeCon, CO2Dry, VNK and Ecomaat.  The project will respond to client’s demand for natural organic products made by means of a green GRAS technology. Together this consortium will cover the entire spectrum from equipment design to preparing a high end product (natural ingredients) for market implementation.