Fig.: Krones/Steinecker
Krones, a specialist in the production, bottling, and packaging of beverages, is increasingly focusing on technologies for the production of new foods, meat substitutes, and protein sources in light of the upcoming Anuga FoodTec 2024 trade fair in Cologne (March 19-22). The Swiss start-up Food Brewer is providing valuable input.
The company, known worldwide primarily for its beverage bottling plants, is presenting plant and engineering solutions for beverage and food production together with its subsidiaries Steinecker, Milkron, Evoguard, and HST. This time, the special focus is on customized, holistic sustainability concepts, primarily addressing water and energy conservation during the production process.
The topic of "sustainability" is "like a dome over the entire value chain." "The Earth's resources are dwindling," the statement reads. "It is society's duty to do everything possible to protect nature and thus our planet." This also plays a crucial role in the vision and mission of the Krones Group. In factory planning, Krones advises companies on how they can recover and recycle energy and water throughout the entire production process. Steinecker and Milkron also offer approaches to sustainably optimize the manufacturing process of dairy products and alternatives, juices, and soft drinks. Concrete examples of implementation include HydroCircle, a comprehensive concept for wastewater recycling, as well as special heat recovery systems and the use of heat pumps for sustainable energy recovery.
Photo: Food Brewer
At Steinecker, for example, the knowledge and technology from beer fermentation are combined with Krones' aseptic expertise and adapted for the cell-based production of new products. A bioreactor developed there allows for both precision fermentation and cell cultivation. This enables the production of new food products such as alternative protein sources for meat substitutes, as well as whey and egg proteins. In a recently established collaboration with the Swiss start-up Food Brewer, various applications are now being tested, and the technology is also being made available to other companies for their own recipes and trials.
The Swiss biotechnology company specializes in the research, development, and marketing of pioneering technologies for the production of food and food ingredients. As an alternative to conventional agriculture, plant cell cultures are used and cultivated in fermenters (similar to beer brewing).
In filling and packaging processes, Krones also uses filling valves designed for the respective end product when filling dairy products and alternatives, juices or sauces, as well as Lite-Pac Top, one of the most celebrated packaging concepts on the market for PET containers and cans.
