Tecnología

Introduction

New technologies are the tools at our disposal to respond to new consumer demands (new foods adapted to new consumer habits).

The consumer demands foods of excellent SENSORY QUALITY, suitable HEALTH properties, consistent with the desired FOOD SAFETY, fresh, natural and respectful foods that are respectful to the environment SECURITY (SUSTEINABILITY). In turn, market trends require new products with optimized shelf life and presentations that make the product easy-to-consume (convenience).

To meet such demands, XaRTA has the following technologies:

1. processing and preservation

2. packaging

3. quality control and diagnostics

Processing

Market trends, focalized towards more fresh-like products, imply that those products are highly perishable. Therefore, an efficient method for conservation is required:

1) Conventional thermal treatments:

Loss of nutrient
Modification of the organoleptic properties
Does not meet new consumer demands

2) Alternative thermal and non-thermal treatments (emerging methods):

Minimum processing, sensory and nutritional impact
Reduction of environmental impact
Offer expansion
Meets new consumer demands

Technique	Advantages	Systems	Applications
Conventional
Pasteurization Sterilization		convection oven (max T: 300) tubular pasteurizer (50 L/h) 2 pasteurizer plates (200 and 500L/h) tubular pasteurizer (500L/h) portable pasteurizer (50 a 200L/h) electric pasteurizer (50 to 200L/h) laboratory pasteurizer static autoclave (300L) autoclave (100L) esterilizador multitube UHT sterilizer (1000 L/h) sterilization	colorants inorganic and synthetic antioxidants nitrites CO BHA BHT TBHQ polyamines (putrescine, spermidine, spermine, …)
Emergent
Ohmic heating (CO)	high energy efficiency (95% conversion) reduces the risk of contamination Rapid and effective heating Continuous processing High penetration capacity: CO> RF> MO		Its high penetration capacity makes it especially useful in the case particulate food: sauces, purées, liquid egg products, meat
Radiofrequency (RF)	ràpid, homogeneous and controlled heating energy efficiency Internal heat generation continuous processed	radiofrequency tunnel (27.12 MHz / speed: 0-0.7m/min)	Applicable to pasteurization, heating, cooking and thawing of a large variety of foods: thawing of meat, fish and food in general, fruits, fried foods without oil, sliced bread without crust, drying of ice cream products / pastries, toasted nuts, prepared pasteurized dishes.
Microwaves MO	homogeneous heating	industrial microwave tunnel (2.45 GHZ / velocity: 0-0.3 m/min) microwave oven 2450 MHz (15 L) microwave oven 5800 MHz (17 L)	meats, salted meats, hamburgers, fish, ice cream and vegetables, and cooked dishes, oven products and cooked or semi-cooked
THERMIC (LOW T)
Ultrafreezing	no microcrystals are formed that break cell structure and cause food dehydration	freezer / liquid nitrogen temperature blast chiller (30 ° C / -100 ° C)	carnes, carnes saladas, hamburgesas, pescados, helados y verduras, platos ya cocidos, productos de horno ya cocidos o semicocidos
NON- THERMIC
High isostatic pressures	development of new textures higyenization of foods improvement of the peeling process (yield increase) in seafood minimizing the use of additives	Ultra high homogenization pressure system 15L/h, Pmax: 330 MPa High pressure industrial equipment 50L, Pmax: 500 MPa, T: -20 a 90ºC 120 L, maxP: 650 MPa Ultra high pressure pilot equipment 2 L, maxP: 900 MPa 300 ml, maxP:900 MPa, T: -20 and 90 ºC	Cold pasteurization of packaged foods: 1. Solid foods, preferably packed in vacuum cooked or cured meat products, cheese, fish, seafood, salted fish, fruits, jams, vegetables 2. Liquid foods, in sufficeintly flexible packaging dairy products, fruit juices
High intensity electrical pulses	improvement of nutritional quality	PowerMod™ 25 kW Pulsed Electried Field Treatment System, from Diversified Technologies, Inc. Pilot plan treatment System (400 L/h) Continuous and discontinous processing systems	Fluid foodstuffs: meat products (pastes and emulsions) juices (tomato, watermelon, carrots, strawberries and broccoli) milk and dairy derivatives liquid egg and egg products syrups, sauces, purees, soups, broths, etc.
High intensity light pulses	hygienisation of surfaces and food packaging		meat fish fresh cut products (champignon/mushrooms, avocado, watermelon) prepared dishes
Membrane technology: – microfiltration – ultrafiltration – nanofiltration – reverse osmosis	extraction and concentration of value added solutes (polyphenols, proteins, aromas, ferments, …) liquid fractionation	micro/ultra/nano filtration and inverse osmosis system Laboratory plants and tangential flow filtration system (micro, ultra, nano and inverse osmosis) and absorption and ionic exchange	potable, waste and quality water, milk, juice, wine and beer, fruit juices, meats, fish, fruits and vegetables, eggs, sugar, oils and fats
DRYING TECHNOLOGY
Quick Drying System (QDS) ®	ultrafast drying yield improvement waste diminution / new formats and products	Continous QDS process system	ultra fast drying of sliced meat products
Dynamic drier ®	On-line product quality control energy optimization	Six 4 m^{2 dryers} 1 industrial dryer 1 industrial scale dryer 8 refrigeration chambers and 4 freezing chambers	Several foods
Atomization	rapid drying High yield	Mobile Minor^TM2000 atomizer Spray-dryer Lab-Plant SD-05 Bucchi Mini Spray Dryer B-191 atomizer	Wide range of heat sensitive or non-sensitive liquids or suspensions: milk and dairy products, egg products, slaughterhouse by-products (blood, gelatin, …), food ingredients (enzymes, vitamins, dextrose, …), coffee, soup mixes, fruit juices
Fluid bed dryer	rapid drying High yield	Dehydration through a fluidized bed system	Wide range of heat sensitive and non-sensitive foodd: baby food, peas, lentils, milk and dairy products, egg products, microbial cultures, coffee, peanuts, yeast, spices, grains, sauces, seeds, food ingredients (dextrose, citric acid, lactose, casein, vitamins)
Lyophilization		Lyophilization systems
BIOTECHNOLOGY
Biotechnology	quality improvement of raw materials of vegetable and animal origin (OMG) Guaranteeing and standardization of organoleptic properties of the final product (new indicator cultures) beneficial effects on health (probiotic cultures) improves processes and products by producing enzymes (biocatalysts), additives, vitamins, amino acids (from microorganisms or GMOs). Allows to produce compounds that cannot be obtained by chemical synthesis or are traditionally obtained in small quantities, optimizes production and reduces the environmental impact of chemical synthesis. increases shelf life and food safety and reduces the use of preservatives without modifying the sensory characteristics of food (biopreservatives)	Fermentation pilot plant: 2 Fermenters (90 L and 100 L) Fermentation camerca 2 labortory scale fermenters (5 L) Fermentation area	Several foods cárnicos/meat fruit and vegetables dried fruits vinegar wine milk and its derivatives bread fish alcoholic drinks oils and fats cereals

Packaging

Once the desired product is achieved, an efficient packaging is extremely important to maintain quality during storage, transportation, marketing, and end use. Packaging has evolved from being mainly a protective barrie, to being a functional element that interacts with food, its environment and the consumer, allowing:

to troubleshoot commercial distribution issues
to improve the maintenance of sensory and nutritional properties
to increase shelf life improving food safety
to encourage the purchase by the consumer

Technique	Advantages	Systems
Packaging systems
Vacuum	Elimination of gas from the container	Aseptic packaging line: Heat sealing packaging machine (vacuum, skin or MAP): 4 bandejas por ciclo Skin sealing machine (vacuum or skin): from 1 to 9 trays per cycle Aseptic tank for fluids (600L) Tetra Brik aseptic filling machine 9 (200 mL) Packaging line: Vacuum and MAP packaging machines Manual multiformat NIMCO liquid packaging machine (200, 250, 500 and 1000mL) Tetra Recard pacakaging machine for foods with particles 48 microchambers CAP[EDS1] (200 L)- 3 chambers CAP (23 m3)
Modified atmospheres (MAP)	Replacement of air in the container by a fixed gas mixture The modifications in composition are not corrected during storage. Minimizes the use of additives and preservatives
Controlled atmospheres (CAP)	Maintenance of the composition of the atmosphere during storage, previously modified or not.
Packaging types
Passive packaging	Protection from external aggression
Active packaging	Protection from external aggression Incorporation of components that release or eliminate substances to control the quality of the food (interaction with the environment or food) Avoids elevated amounts of additives and preservatives Enhancement of characteristics Improvement of properties Response of the package against changes that occur
Smart packaging	Protection from external aggression Use of some component or packaging material to register and provide information to the consumer on the history and status of the package and / or food Temperature Indicators, microbial growth, gases, etc.
Edible packaging	Protection from external aggression Enhancement of characteristics Beneficial to the environment (reducing the use of plastic) Reduces the use of additives and preservatives
Skin packaging	Protection from external aggression Use of multiple films A transparent film wraps the product (skin) and enhances its presentation. Product components are fixed by the skin film that preserves the shape and freshness.

Diagnosis

Consumer demand for safer and higher quality products, along with the need to ensure corporate earnings, has translated into traceability and certification requirements for production processes in the food industry. This, in turn, has improved raw materials control, processing processes and final product.

Improved control involves the development of:

a) Advanced methods of analysis

rapid and specific
characterization, detection, identification and quantification of properties, compounds or organisms.
microbiological, physico-chemical, sensory, and genetics assessment.

b) Non-invasive automated systems (sensors)

reduction in the cost of personnel and analytical reagents
increased control and data capture or quality parameters
there is no contact with the food (better food security)
100% inspection and in real time (immediate correction)

Technique	Advantages	Systems	Applications
Non-invasive automated methods (Sensors)
Microwave spectrometry	rapidity in the obtainment of results	Sequid RFQ Scan (10 Hz – 5 GHz)	determination of dielectric properties, salt content determination, freezing traceability, and food composition.
Near infrared (NIR)		spectrometer NIR ( T: 35ºC) on-line semiautemated probes: Fat-O-Meater. Optic fiber spectrometer CoAgulite coagulation sensors LFV syneresis sensors	determination of composition (water, fat, etc.) and other parameters of technological quality of liquid or solid foods
Ultrasounds		on-line semiautomated probes: Ultafom totally automated on-line methods: Autofom acoustic non-destructive systems	measure of fat thickness and muscle, weight, or composition in different areas of the channel
Fluorimetry		Non- destructive method by fluorimetry
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR/MRI)			Composition of the foods
Oxygen in MAP (modified atmosphere) packaging	Easy to use High reliability	Oxygen measurer ( T: -20 – 60 ºC)	non-invasive analysis of oxygen in packaging
Artificial vision	camera system	Automatic vision system (VCS 2000)	detection of defects, measure of freshness, detection of foreign bodies in foods
X-ray tomography	imaging of sections of food accurate measure of quality parameters	CT system	studies of the internal structure and composition (lean, fat, bones, etc.) in live animals and food optimization of elaboration processes (prediction of salt content, H2O and a_w) diffusion studies of solutes (salt) in foods
Electronic nose		2 electronic noses	application to sensory analysis and to the study of aromàtic maturation of foods
Advanced analysis
Chemical analysis		Instrumental analysis laboratory: gas chromatography (GC) with conventional (MS, MS/MS, FID, NPD, ECD) and olphatometric detectors (O) liquid (HPLC, UPLC, FPLC) with conventional detectors (MS, DAD, IR, UV-VIS, Fluorescence, Q-TOF) Exclusion chromatography de exclusión (EC, GPC) Solid phase extraction (SPE) Solid phase microextraction (SPME) Stir Bar Sorptive Extraction (SBSE) accelerated solven extractor ASE olive oil extractor (Abencor system) electronic nose (HS-MS) ICP-MS, ICP-AES spectrophotometers (plates and trays) colorimeters fluorometers electrophoresis (capillary, gel) Optigraph CINAC Rancimat	lipids (fatty acids, triglycerides, cholesterol, …) proteins and aminoacids carbohydrates minerals vitamins additives bioactive compounds (phytosterols, flavonoids, polyphenols, …) components of aroma and flavour waste and pollutants
Physical analysis		Chemicophysical analysis laboratory: optic microscopis inverse phase microscope LEICA CTR 5000 microscope Fluorescence microscope LEICA MZ 16F stereoscopic lense texture meters pH meters acoustic firmness sensor (Aweta type) homogenizer digital burettes Kjeldahl Soxlet hygrometer stoves / muffle valuators for chlorides water activity measurers rheometers penetrometers refractometers gelograph mosalux calorimetry (TGA, DSC) calorimetry (TGA, DSC) centrifuge centrifuge ultra-centrifugee ultra.centrifuge weighing scales evaporators	texture and rheology conductivity pH impedance water activity Water retention capacity color
Microbiological analysis		Microbiological analysis laboratory: biological safety cabinets (Class II) laminar flow cabinets incubators and climate chambers (phytotron, conviron) automatic spiral seeding systems microscopy and image analysis autoclaves liofilizadores congeladores/neveras bactometer stomaker	spoilage microorganisms and pathogens
Sensory analysis		Sensory analysis laboratory: tasting room for sensory analysis : individual tasting booths ISO installations trained and qualified personnel for the execution of tests and analysis of results	smell aroma flavor taste texture color
Molecular analysis	ELISA: in fresh or processed foods where proteins are not altered. PCR: amplified DNA sequences. In processed or physicochemically treated foods in which the protein may have degraded RAPD-PCR: universal primers low cost and easy to use PCR multiplex simultaneous amplification of several target sequences with several primers in the same probe PCR in real time: high accuracy in quantification high sensitivity (detection of a very low number of copies of DNA); the most frequently in traceability RT-PCR and NASBA in real time allows: to distinguish and quantify viable cells from the amplification RNA sequences rather than from DNA sequences.	Molecular Biology Laboratory: a) Methods of analysis based on the detection of proteins: ELISA plate readers b) Methods of analysis based on the detection of DNA: conventional PCR real time PCR PRC multiplex, RAPD-PCR plasmid profile NASBA in real time	spoilage microorganisms and pathogens genetically modified organisms (GMOs)