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A French Technology Office offers a software to predict the kinetic of the drying process for food-processing plants

Country of Origin: France
Reference Number: TOFR20180720005
Publication Date: 11 October 2018

Summary

A French Technology Office (TTO) offers new software predicting the kinetic of the drying process for food-processing factorys areas, bioburden's evolution and dimensioning of air dryer.
This approach has been already tested especially against Listeria bacteria.This technology is ecofriendly because it allows a better use of water and cleaning agents.
The French TTO is looking for industrial partners for a technical cooperation agreement or a license agreement.

Description

The French TTO (Technology Transfer Office) is acting on the behalf of a public laboratory of the leading French scientific based in the Paris region. 

How to control the humidity in a food-processing plant after cleaning by water?

How to improve the drying process to reduce bacterial growth on different areas?

A French lab has developed a numerical tool predicting the kinetic of drying process inside a food-processing plant (floor, walls, equipment) in accordance with air's characteristics(temperature, relative humidity and air velocity) and also foretold microbial burden evolution on these surfaces and dimensioning of an air dryer to reduce humidity efficiently.

The user inputs his data in the software based on his factory's parameters and then can visualize the impact of the cleaning process on the humidity of the floors, the walls and the equipment, as well as on the bacterial inactivation (of Listeria, for example).



Several type of applications could be planned:

- Agrofood

- Design food-processing factories, sizing of the air dryers

- Food safety (monitoring bacterial presence)

- Manufacturing of chilled products (no-bake food, butcher shop...)



The partner could be a company interested in :

- a license agreement as the TTO is ready to negociate directly the patents rights for specific applications, or

- a technical cooperation agreement

Advantages and Innovations

Currently no solution available on the market permits to have a overview of the drying process in terms of water, etc...



The advantages of this technology:

- energy savings

- control of the waste/residual water

- improvement of the factory's drying process

- reduction of the bacterial growth

At a second stage, more precise data could be given.

Stage Of Development

Available for demonstration

Stage Of Development Comment

The software has been developed as part of the national R&D program delivering solution for air dehumidification, minimizing Listeria monocytogenes survival in refrigerated plants while allowing energy savings.

Requested partner

The partner sought could be a company interested in a license agreement or a technical cooperation agreement.

The industrial partner could be an agrofood company or a design department or an engineering office.

A laboratory visit could be organised to have a better understanding of this technology.