A newly upgraded line for intensified food drying that uses extrusion porosification technology, or EPT, has opened in Victoria.
EPT dries high value, high viscosity products that can’t be handled by conventional spray drying. Concentrates that are high in fat and carbohydrate are also easily dried by EPT.
The process has been developed by Australian food processing company Inovo, CSIRO’s food innovation centre, and France-based extrusion technology company Clextral.
A porous structure ensures the functionality of EPT powders is higher than spray-dried products, and the lower processing temperatures retain sensitive components such as flavours and nutrients while saving on energy.
Clextral managing director Camille Challard said the pilot scale system had been tested at CSIRO’s food innovation centre for the past few years.
“Now, following the six-month upgrade, the line offers many advanced features and opens up new product development possibilities such as temperature-sensitive and sophisticated powdered mixes with additional functional properties, all in a food-grade environment,” she said.
Challard said EPT offers the possibility of creating new products and ingredients that may not be able to be made using a conventional spray-drying process, such as new flavours, nutritional powdered beverages, bioactives and highly aromatic products.
The technology is expected to give innovation opportunities to the food industry and add value to the future manufacturing of dairy powders, flavours, coffee, tea, nutraceuticals and beverages.
Read more inn Food & Drink Business January-February issue, available in digital format.
