Nutraceuticals
Starter Cultures
Starter cultures are literally on everyone’s lips. The helpful micro-organisms are employed in the most diverse fields of the food industry and also as a probiotic dietary supplement. Examples are the dairy, meat and bakery industries, in the production of fermented vegetables, in the production of wine and beer and in the animal feed industry. Starter cultures are cultivated from undefined, empirically produced species to attain a predictable and reproducible quality and quantity of the product.
The production of starter cultures can be divided into two sections. After cultivation in fermenters, the bacteria must be processed and separated from the fermentation solution. This consists of the nurtured lactobacilli and the remainder of the nutrient solution including the produced lactic acid. Firstly, the micro-organisms are separated and concentrated from the liquid phase. Nozzle and self-cleaning disc separators in steam-sterilized design are available for this step of the process. The concentrated lactobacilli then pass to a freeze-drier. Finally, the cultures are packaged under oxygen exclusion and stored at low temperatures. This retains their activity for months before they are processed, e. g. as “live cultures” in probiotic yogurts.
Sterility and Careful Treatment
The careful treatment of the living micro-organisms, sterility and a high separation efficiency are prerequisite to the economical, reliable and efficient processing. The separators from GEA employed in this production process are therefore equipped with hydrohermetic product feed systems which minimize the shear forces when the product enters the bowl and therefore guarantee the high vitality of the cells.
Products & Technologies
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Aseptic valves & components
Aseptic valves face exceptionally high demands within UltraClean and Aseptic processes. You can be assured that they all provide highest quality in terms of hygienic design and sustainability.
Centrifugal Separator
GEA separators are designed for liquid-based applications. Using centrifugal force, they are used for separating suspensions consisting of two or more phases of different densities, i.e. they can be used for liquid-liquid separation, for liquid-liquid-solid separation or for liquid-solid separation. They are equally as effective at separating liq...
CIP/SIP Solutions
Innovative CIP concepts of GEA meet comprehensive high standards. Our experts guarantee product safety at every point of the process. Every upgrade is adapted to individual local conditions and customer requirements and leads to noticeable savings.
Hygienic pumps
GEA Hilge offers a versatile range of centrifugal and positive displacement pumps for a wide variety of sensitive applications in the beverage, food and pharmaceutical industries.
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GEA Insights
Shifts in food packaging: 4 trends
Thermoforming has long played a central role in food packaging. Now it is facing a major shift. As regulations tighten, materials evolve and costs rise, form fill seal lines must do more than run reliably – they now shape how food stays fresh, affordable and recyclable. Take a look at the key thermoforming trends informing the food packaging and delivery landscape.
Fruit storage at Betko: Control from peak harvest to global delivery
From the orchards of the Cape to store shelves across 40 countries, the South African packhouse Betko has built a business on freshness, timing and reliability. With GEA’s controlled atmosphere refrigeration technology, the company can now store apples and pears for up to 14 months and cut energy consumption by 20%, with a partnership of more than 30 years at the heart of it all.
