Fields of work at the Institute of Food Technology

• Food ingredients and biotechnology field of work

• Particle analysis and colloid research field of work

• Quality assurance field of work

• Process engineering and technology field of work

At the heart of our research work is the development of new compounds of natural food ingredients with physiological and technological effects, and the use of biotechnology to alter, manufacture and incorporate them in innovative food products.

In addition to the development of new innovative platform technologies for reducing the sugar content of foods, another major focus is the development of new forms of food (e.g. as gels or foams) for people who have difficulty chewing or swallowing. An additional focus of the research work is the development of new concepts in individual nutrition (e.g. for older people, athletes, personalised nutrition).

Work is under way in the following research subjects:

• Engineering and sensor technology
• Ingredients and quality control

With the aid of particle analysis, that is, the combined measurement of particle charge (charge titration) and particle size, the stability or otherwise of colloidal and dispersal systems can be fully described in metrological terms. Bright filtered beer, for example, becomes cloudy after a certain amount of time. The reason for this is the relatively large area of the colloids suspended in the beer, whose effective outer surface shrinks for thermodynamic reasons as they join together (physically unstable dispersion).

The spontaneous foaming of carbonated drinks when unshaken bottles are opened is a phenomenon known as 'gushing'. The aim of the research is to explain the mechanism of this sudden release of carbon dioxide from many small particles in beer and to introduce the responsible ingredients into the drinks.

Quality assurance not only means the assurance and improvement of product quality but is becoming ever more important as a factor in global competition. The combination of skilled staff and modern laboratory equipment at the Institute of Food Technology ensures quality control of the entire process and uninterrupted process supervision. Sensory tests planned, developed, conducted and evaluated at the institute using its own sensory panel provide effective tools for quality assurance as well as for market research and product development.

Subject areas:

• Sensory acceptability of new products or adapted recipes
• Suitability of alternative raw materials for defined manufacturing processes
• Fault detection and implications for the production process
• Physical, chemical and rheological test processes

Food processing technology is in a state of constant change. At the request of or in cooperation with companies, the Institute of Food Technology is developing new processes and technologies. The companies benefit from the outsourcing of research and development and from access to state-of-the-art science. Public funds can be requested for co-financing.

Work is under way in the following research subjects:

To maintain competitiveness, successful businesses rely on innovative progress in their products and processes. In an ongoing production process, though, new developments are often difficult to implement. It is not uncommon for resources of time, staff and space to represent the limiting factors. At the Institute of Food Technology, we are working on the following research topics:

Subject areas:

• Development of refreshing and functional drinks
• Freeze-thaw stability of milk products
• Process development in modern innovative juicing systems
• Alternative food sweeteners using steviol glycosides
• Slicing processes for root vegetables

The quality of plant-based foodstuff products is significantly affected by the nature and manner of processing. Processing is aimed above all at food preservation but needs to be equally successful at preserving quality – that is, retaining the taste, nutritional value, colour and where relevant the structure of the processed foodstuff as far as possible. Recreating industrial processes at a laboratory and pilot-plant scale, and conducting associated research on individual steps in the process, allows implications to be drawn regarding the production process. Production methods can be adapted and thus optimised.

Subject areas:

• Fruit and vegetable technology
• Pickled vegetable technology
• Texture profile analysis
• Enzyme technology

Water processing is a significant stage in the production of drinking water for consumption and for use in food production and the drinks industry. The most significant practical element in the processing of drinking water is its filtration through layers of different filter materials. In a research facility designed according to criteria from the German Technical and Scientific Association for Gas and Water (DVGW), different filter materials can be tested for suitability in the context of semi-technical filtration trials.

Subject areas:

• Removal of dissolved manganese from groundwater containing manganese
• Development of new types of filter material in deep filters
• Suitability of filter materials for particle filtration
• Ability to back-flush and regenerate filter materials