Latest research confirms Steam Infusion cuts energy consumption by 17% per batch
New research spearheaded by the National Centre for Food Manufacturing (NCFM), University of Lincoln, has found that Steam Infusion can reduce energy consumption by 17% per batch compared to basic direct steam heating by saving 278 hours of production time, cutting 9 tonnes (10 US tons) of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per kettle production line each year.
The research, led by NCFM’s Dr Wayne Martindale and OAL’s Development Chef, Christopher Brooks, has been reported in a peer-reviewed paper, “Transformational Steam Infusion Processing for Resilient and Sustainable Food Manufacturing Businesses”. Published in Volume 10, Issue 8 of Foods, the team also found that Steam Infusion can improve the quality of a wide variety of end products, meeting consumer demand for great tasting food & beverages with added green credentials.
According to the FAO, the global food & beverage industry accounts for one third of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions, and the recent release of the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report, Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis, has underscored the requirement for food manufacturers to accelerate their plans to reduce carbon emissions. With many manufacturers signed up to net zero commitments, or at least reporting on efforts to reduce their environmental impact, Steam Infusion can support businesses’ plans to incrementally cut emissions throughout their facilities. What’s more, the technology enables alignment to UN Sustainable Development Goals, specifically SDG9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) and SDG12 (Responsible Production and Consumption).
By realising a reduction of 17% in energy consumption when using Steam Infusion, and achieving a similar decrease in GHG emissions, food & beverage manufacturers can make meaningful headway on the journey towards the worldwide net zero ambitions. Not only that, by building carbon reductions into food & beverage manufacture through Steam Infusion cooking, in addition to schemes that off-set emissions with green utilities and land-based carbon sequestration, manufacturers can make an immediate difference in the fight against climate change.
“This is a world first in terms of looking into the sustainability benefits of technologies like Steam Infusion. The most energy intensive parts of food manufacturing facilities are often heating operations so it’s really exciting to see how Steam Infusion can help to reduce the impact of the industry. In this report, we connect a manufacturing innovation to consumer experience and improved product quality with greater sustainability credentials – a win for manufacturers and consumers alike.”
Steam Infusion is a simple, disruptive cooking process that helps food manufacturers overcome many of the challenges they face every day when producing food and beverage products, from soups to sauces and dairy desserts, including burn-on contamination, variable product consistency and slow cooking times. Steam Infusion Vaction™ Pump uses steam as the motive force to simultaneously heat, mix and pump liquids with and without particulates, and can heat 1,000kg (2,204lb) of product from 15°C (59°F) to 90°C (194°F) in five minutes with no burn-on or particulate damage. Easily retrofitted into new or existing cooking vessels, or fitted directly into the line, Steam Infusion delivers sustainability credentials with limited upfront investment and manufacturers typically achieve twice the cooking capacity compared with traditional methods.
“We knew that Steam Infusion could help food & beverage manufacturers to become more energy efficient from anecdotal evidence but it’s great to have it confirmed in a peer-reviewed study. As manufacturers adjust their plans to achieve net zero goals, we’re confident that Steam Infusion can support them by delivering top quality products that consumers love with lower emissions.”
Dr Wayne Martindale and Jake Norman will be speaking at the Lincoln leg of the Zero Carbon Tour leading to COP26 in Glasgow, discussing how technologies such as Steam Infusion can help the food industry to reduce its impact on the environment.