Wafilin Systems uses membranes to contribute to protein transition

One of the main developments in the food industry is protein transition, which increasingly focuses on the extraction of plant-based proteins. These valuable substances can be found in starchy products. Currently, many plant-based proteins are lost as they are absorbed into processing streams. This is why many companies in the food industry are zeroing in on the effective use of valuable processing water. Wafilin Systems uses membrane filtration to contribute to this transition and help companies reuse valuable substances.

Recovering protein from starch processing streams

R&D Manager Jos van Dalfsen is responsible for developing breakthrough technologies, together with our customers. “You need a lot of water to process starchy products, such as potatoes, tapioca and peas. This water used to be considered wastewater, but in many cases, it still contains valuable components – such as proteins, sugar and minerals – and can be considered a residual product. Producers have become increasingly aware of this and are looking for solutions to recover these substances.”
Our membrane filtration systems and the knowledge we have accumulated over nearly 50 years put us in an excellent position to support these producers. As such, we’ve already done a number of revolutionary projects, among which the Avebe DUCAM project, which focuses on recovering protein from potatoes. We’re constantly testing new alternative protein sources in the Food Application Centre for Technology (FACT) in Leeuwarden.

“Since all these products require a different way of processing, we don’t offer a standard solution; instead, we look at the process together with the customer and, together, decide how to optimize it. For this, we use our extensive range of pilot units for testing, as well as our food-grade facilities. Our ultimate goal is always to provide a high-quality solution that can be used to unlock the hidden values in these processing streams,” says van Dalfsen.

Our ambitions

We have a clear goal in mind with these innovations: “Being part of this transition gives us the opportunity to contribute to a better world, particularly by means of healthier food. We use our technology, knowledge and experience to work with the customer on building a stock of high-quality products in food technology and dairy. These are our ambitions,” according to van Dalfsen.

Collaboration with Bridge2Food

To achieve this, Wafilin Systems must find the right parties to work with. That’s why we have joined Bridge2Food, an organisation committed to connecting companies, knowledge institutes and suppliers in the food industry. With this partnership, we want to get in touch with potential customers, as well as with suppliers that can provide technologies that compliment our systems. We want to enter into alliances with these inspiring parties to help as many companies as possible achieve this crucial transition!

Looking at the future

The Wafilin team has already lined up a number of pilot tests and projects. Moving forward, we – together with our partners – will continue to focus on providing solutions that support the protein transition and contribute to a better world for future generations.

To find out more about how we use our systems to recover valuable substances from processing streams, please contact Jos van Dalfsen: j.vandalfsen@wafilinsystems.nl.

Share this article