MULTIPLE PROBES CRYOCONCENTRATOR FOR HIGHLY PRESERVED CUCUMBER JUICE CONCENTRATE PRODUCTION

BOOTH NO : I4


Category : Manufacturing Technologies

ABSTRACT
Multiple Probes Cryoconcentrator (MPCC) is designed to improve the productivity of progressive freeze concentration (PFC) in cucumber juice concentration while preserving the heat sensitive active compounds and nutritional values in it including the total phenolic content, the most popular anti-oxidant beneficial to combat against cardiovascular diseases and cancers. MPCC invented in this research is using PFC technology, which is a water removal process carried at sub-zero temperature, to crystallise water component in a solution through freezing as a layer on a cooled surface. The objective of this research is to equip the MPCC ice crystallizer with quantified design characteristics for better PFC efficiency, cost-effectiveness and maximizing the nutritional properties in cucumber juice production. This may contribute to producing high quality juice concentrate products with high practicality device for commercialization of other fruit or vegetable as well.
BACKGROUND
Evaporation, the most frequently applied thermal process in juice concentration, may lead to the loss of color, flavour, aroma, nutritional value and taste of the concentrated juice due high temperature used with the high cost for energy consumption. Reverse osmosis can remove water at minimally modified sensory, nutritional, and functional properties of the juice, but is unable to achieve higher degree of concentration comparatively due to high osmotic pressure limitation and membrane fouling. Thus progressive freeze concentration is proposed in this research, by inventing the MPCC, to remove the water content in the juice by freezing it into ice crystal layer at subzero temperature. Formation of the ice crystal lattice will reject all solutes and impurities, leaving behind highly concentrated cucumber juice. The MPCC can potentially be used in other water purification, vegetables and fruit juices concentration and other water removal process.
NEEDS
Due to its natural and mild taste, cucumber juice is favored to be used as an ingredient in other beverages to enhance the sensory properties and phytochemical potential.
To maximize consumption and pack phenolic compounds in a small volume of juice (TPC per volume) for further use in numerous industries, an efficient concentration process for the juice is extremely needed.
The quest to find a new design of FC is still continuing due to very high cost of the conventional FC system regarding its complexity related to ice nucleation, ice crystal growth and ice crystal separation.
In view of global industry of cucumber juice, the top-ranked import markets are led by countries of United States (i.e., $558.47M import value in 2020), followed by Germany and Netherlands
APPROACH
We will approach local companies processing fruit juices, plants and vegetable extracts as well as water removal and purification to proposed for collaboration.
Develop a continuous automated system for MPCC for commercialization.
Carry out detailed analysis for industrial purposes.
BENEFITS
MPCC employs freeze concentration technology which has been proven to be able to operate at a lower energy consumption, thus will result in lower operation cost.
The setup for MPCC is much simpler and does not require many unit operations hence the capital cost is much lower.
The productivity of the MPCC is much improved compared to other progressive freeze concentration designs invented previously.
COMPETITORS
Competitor is the evaporation and reverse osmosis process, which are much more established and more well known.
Currently, there is no company producing apparatus or equipment employing this same concept in Malaysia. This apparatus is specially fabricated, so no competition is really seen in terms of the engineering of it.
POTENTIAL MARKET
Food and Beverage Industry, Cosmeceutical Industry, Pharmaceutical Industry
Nestle (Malaysia) Berhad, Selangor
Hong Yap Trading Company, Penang, Malaysia
KH Roberts Global, Singapore
Frito-Lay North America (Lay’s Product)
RESEARCH TEAM
MAZURA BINTI JUSOH FAKULTI KEJURUTERAAN KIMIA DAN KEJURUTERAAN TENAGA
DR. NOORHAFIZA HARUN UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MALAYSIA DR. NORSHAFIKA YAHYA UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MALAYSIA MAZURA BINTI JUSOH FAKULTI KEJURUTERAAN KIMIA DAN KEJURUTERAAN TENAGA ZAKI YAMANI BIN ZAKARIA PUSAT PENGURUSAN PENYELIDIKAN