Recent practices in Green Technologies in Food Production and Processing 
                     RECENT PRACTICES IN 
GREEN TECHNOLOGIES 
IN FOOD PRODUCTION 
AND PROCESSING 
An Academic presentation by
Dr. Nancy Agnes, Head, Technical Operations, 
FoodResearchLab
Group:  www.foodresearchlab.com
Email: [email protected]
INTRODUCTION
• The food consumed every day must be processed so that they 
are fit for consumption. Various processing techniques are 
implemented to develop food product, like cooking, boiling, 
filtering and frying. 
• These techniques have been implemented for a long time, and 
are therefore called conventional food processing techniques. 
• However, some shortcomings occur in this process, like low 
efficiency and, hence, more time and energy consumption. 
• In addition, the loss of nutrients in food can indirectly affect 
consumers' immune systems. These drawbacks have led to food 
development innovations that follow sustainable practices, from 
processing to pasteurisation and extraction. 

The following points discuss greener innovations occurring in the 
food  industries:  
1 INSTANT CONTROLLED PRESSURE DROP 
) TECHNOLOGY 
• Also called 'Détente Instantanée Contrôlée' (DIC) in French, the 
Instant controlled pressure drop technology is considered to be 
a High-Temperature, High-Pressure, Short Time (HTST) type of 
thermal process.
 
• It has many applications in the food industry, such as 
decontamination, preservation and extraction. 
• DIC decreased processing time in the experimental models, and 
the sudden pressure drop ensures a higher food quality by 
preventing thermal deterioration. 
2 MICROWAVE EXTRACTION 
)
• Microwave has numerous uses in food formulation, like drying, baking, pasteurisation and 
sterilisation. In 1986, Ganzler and Lane published the first description of the use of microwave energy 
for extracting food components. 
• There has been an increasing interest in more sustainable extraction processes recently. Approaches 
such as Solvent-Free Microwave Hydrodistillation (SFMH) and Microwave Hydrodiffusion and Gravity 
(MHG) have been developed. 
• SFMH has the advantage of far lower carbon dioxide emissions in the extraction of essential oils (200g 
CO2 using the SFMH method compared to 3600g CO2 while using solvents). 
• MHG does not require the steps of evaporation and distillation processes, which are the most energy-
consuming [1].
3 ENZYMES 
)
• Enzymes have recently been gaining a lot of attention in 
food processing that can help decrease the 
environmental impact. Enzymes have many advantages 
high activity at low temperatures, specificity, and ease of 
inactivation. 
• The specificity of enzymes results in the production of 
consistent products. A range of food items can be made 
from harvested produce thanks to the action of enzymes 
in foods, which has advantages such as extending shelf 
life of food and improving sensory properties, 
functioning, and yield. 
• In addition, enzymes are more environmentally friendly 
since they incorporate milder treatments. Amylase, 
pectinase, bromelain, trypsin and glucose oxidase are 
some enzymes used in food processing [2]. Studies have 
also shown that enzymes have a potential for developing 
food flavour [3]. 
4 DRYING TECHNIQUES 
)
• Drying is one of the most energy-intensive processes in food product development. Innovations in 
reducing energy consumption in drying include using alternative forms of energy like solar energy [2]
[4]. 
• Solar energy can also be exploited for cooking and pasteurization [4]. 
• Green drying installation schemes have been introduced wherein the heat is collected from exhaust 
fumes and circulated.
• After heat recovery, exhaust gases might undergo additional cleaning to eliminate greenhouse gases. 
[2]
Figure 2:- Green drying 
systems 
5 RECYCLE AND REUSE WATER 
)
• A substantial amount of water is used in food product 
development, from washing the raw material to cooling the 
finished product. 
• According to a study by Alkaya and Demirar, recycling and 
reusing water decreased the environmental impact and the total 
cost required for beverage formulation in the soft drink industry 
[5]. 
• This practice can be implemented by the food industry as well.
6 GREEN PACKAGING 
)
• The last step in food manufacturing is packaging. 
Packaging is essential as it determines the overall 
quality of food. 
• Packaging has other functions, such as convenient 
sizing of food and serving as a channel of 
communication with the consumer. 
• Some considerations for sustainable food packaging 
include maintaining necessary functionality, minimising 
material use, increasing recycled content and using 
recyclable materials, and avoiding potentially harmful 
components [2]. 
CONCLUSION
• Consumers have become more environmentally 
conscious and prefer using products manufactured by 
companies that consider the environment. 
• Greener food processing has more advantages than 
being sustainable- they preserve the nutritional value of 
food and improve the overall quality. 
• There is a huge opportunity for the food industries to 
meet the consumers' new demand by being more 
responsible towards the environment.  
HOW THE FOOD RESEARCH LAB CAN 
H• TEhe LFoPod Research Lab has a team of experts with great enthusiasm for innovative ways of 
formulating food. 
• In addition, it conducts industry and market research that helps the client set itself apart from their 
competitors. The team also assists in the development of packaging that helps the food stay fresh for 
a longer duration. 
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