Separation Techniques

Separation techniques in food chemistry

Separation technology is widely used in the food business to separate, isolate, and purify a specific component from a mixture. These are necessary in the food production process. Membrane, centrifuge, decanter, spray dryer, freeze dryer, and extractor are just a few of the separation technologies accessible. Membrane technology, in particular, has been widely used in the food sector for the past 5-6 decades due to its lower temperature and energy-intensive processes, In the food processing industry, pressure-driven membrane separation methods such as Microfiltration (MF), Ultrafiltration (UF), Nanofiltration (NF), and Reverse Osmosis (RO) are extensively utilised. Membrane properties, pore size, and operating pressure differ across these varieties. In the food industry, the dairy and beverage sectors are the most common membrane uses. Microfiltration is a popular method for removing germs and spores, as well as fat and casein, from skim milk. Lactose is removed, and the protein content is increased or decreased, using ultrafiltration. Nano filtration is a technique for concentrating and partially demineralizing liquids. Reverse osmosis is primarily used to remove water from a mixture in order to dehydrate it and improve the product concentration.