Researchers from 33 countries met for the DIL iFOOD2011
Major contribution to sustainable food through "Nonthermische method" expected
Sustainability and efficiency in the production of food were two overriding topics at the "iFOOD14 - Innovation Food Conference" of the German Institute for Food Technology (DIL) in Osnabrück and Quakenbrück, which ended on October 2011, 2011. Around 200 researchers and scientists from 33 nations worldwide met in Lower Saxony from October 11th to 14th to exchange their latest research results.
As a rule, it takes at least 3 to 5 years for the results of basic research to be implemented in specific foods. At the end of this conference it was foreseeable where the development of new foods would go: reduction of chemical additives, better use of raw materials to avoid residues (reduce the waste), reduction of energy consumption, retention of the natural taste and this with an extended shelf life.
What at first sounds like squaring the circle, the researchers demonstrated in their diverse lectures on their research results from the past year.
In his introductory speech, Prof. Marc Hendrickx from the University of Leuven (Belgium) already pointed out the “green perspectives” of the new non-thermal processes discussed at this conference.
If the food industry is currently still dealing with traditional processes, the modern high-pressure process, for example, offers a completely different type of production: instead of using heat and / or additives, the products are exposed to high pressures of 7.000 bar. The natural taste is retained, the energy expenditure is reduced, additives are dispensed with and a useful shelf life is achieved.
Prof. Stephan Töpfl, DIL, illustrated how one can produce sustainable drinks from fruit, vegetables and milk with the pulsed eclectic fields process or how the supply problems of the Asian continent can be improved with inexpensive modern technology with more efficiently obtained cotton oil.
Prof. Kazutaka Yamamoto from the National Food Research Institute in Japan illustrated in his much-noticed report the new possibilities through high pressure in the production of dough products from rice flour.
“At this conference, many examples were used to illustrate how we can and must change the production processes in the food industry so that the goals of sustainable production can be achieved. Fundamentally changed processes are required for this. ”SummarizesProf. Dietrich Knorr from the TU Berlin put together his résumé of the conference.
During a visit to the DIL in Quakenbrück on Thursday, the participants were particularly impressed by the diverse possibilities of the local research institute. The “High Pressure Application Center”, which has been in operation for 3 years, attracted a lot of attention. Likewise the wide range of analytical installations.
"It was a great honor and pleasure for us to be able to welcome the leading researchers in this field after Beijing and Chicago to Osnabrück and Quakenbrück." Volker Heinz (left in the picture) summarizes his feelings and adds, "New impulses for the implementation in the industry were given, but also the direction for the research of the next months with the aim of presenting the results at the conference in Melbourne, Australia in 2012, discussed."
Source: Quakenbrück [DIL]
