Ceramic Membrane Technology: Unsung Hero in Seasonings

Ceramic Membrane Technology Applied in Food Processing Industry

To eat well, food safety must be ensured. Nowadays, ceramic membrane technology plays the role of a "behind-the-scenes hero" in people's diets, and many food and beverage production processes cannot be done without ceramic membranes. In fact, ceramic membranes were initially used for military purposes and later transitioned to civilian applications through the food processing field. Around the 1980s, ceramic membranes were successfully applied to the processing of French milk and wine. Nowadays, ceramic membrane technology has major patents in the preparation of milk and dairy products, the preparation of juices and other beverages, the preparation of tea products, wine production, and sugar making, showing rapid development momentum.

Advantages of Ceramic Membrane Technology

Heat Resistance and Corrosion Resistance

Ceramic membranes have high stability in environments with high temperatures, causticity, and microbial erosion. In theory, well-treated ceramic membranes can withstand around 600°C of high temperature, any pH value, and various corrosive environments. Currently, no polymer material membrane has such extensive applicability.

Easy Cleaning

Due to the high corrosion resistance of ceramic membranes, strong acids can be used to dissolve solid blockages, alkalis to clean oily deposits, and enzyme-containing detergents to handle protein gels clogged on the membrane. Ceramic membrane technology features an asymmetrical structure, allowing reverse flushing to remove surface contaminants.

Easy Sterilization

High-temperature steam or high-pressure cooking can be used for sterilization, as well as sterilization in chlor-alkali environments.

Good Mechanical Properties

Ceramic membranes have high structural stability, remain undeformed under certain pressures, do not swell in any solvent, and can withstand abrasion by solid particles.

Long Service Life of the Membrane

Even after multiple high-temperature cleanings, ceramic membranes maintain their separation performance, lasting 3 to 5 times longer than organic membranes.

Applications of Ceramic Membrane Technology in the Seasoning Industry

In recent years, with the deepening of healthy eating culture and the gradual improvement of production technology and processes, the traditional seasoning industry has gained new vitality. Product innovation and production process innovation have become the inevitable choices for the upgrading of the seasoning industry and the key to the core competitiveness of enterprises, ushering in the comprehensive application of ceramic membrane technology in the seasoning field.

At present, ceramic membrane technology is mainly applied in the clarification and sterilization of brewed seasonings (such as soy sauce, vinegar, cooking wine, etc.), preventing secondary mixing during shelf life; as well as in the desalting of seasonings, primarily used in low-salt soy sauce. Traditional separation methods use centrifugation, diatomaceous earth, and paperboard filtration, but they have shortcomings such as incomplete treatment, unsatisfactory clarification effect, the prone occurrence of secondary mixing, incomplete sterilization, short shelf life, and direct impact on product quality and shelf life. Moreover, diatomaceous earth filters occupy large areas, consume high energy, and the disposal and pollution of diatomaceous earth pose significant challenges for enterprises. For traditional microbial removal, steam heating is usually used. Although simple and feasible, it consumes significant energy. When the sterilization temperature is high, scaling can occur in equipment, and the color and flavor of soy sauce and vinegar can be affected; when the temperature is too low, sterilization is incomplete. If a large number of microbial residues remain, it is easy to produce mixing, making it difficult to maintain the original transparency and clarity. Applying ceramic membrane technology to traditional seasoning production can simplify traditional processing, avoid thermal processes during processing, preserve the color, aroma, flavor, and various nutrients of the seasonings more completely, reduce and solve pollutant discharge, and make effective ingredients comprehensively utilized and recycled; at the same time, it can remove harmful substances and microorganisms and prevent the recurrence of sediments.