Application of membrane processes in food technologies

Abstract

Despite its appearance, the food-processing industry is one of the major sources of environmental pollution in industrialised countries. Emissions of gaseous components, aqueous effluents containing heavy loads of biodegradable organics (high BOD values), and solid or pasty residues of different compositions frequently are attendant phenomena of food production lines. Until now, in the overwhelming majority of process units, end-of-pipe technologies have been preferably applied to protect natural systems against inputs of contaminants, while, on the contrary, the number of studies referring to a more modern process design is rather limited.