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FIE 2023: revolutionising sanitisation – Sairem focusses on microwave and radio frequency technologies

Sairem, a leading specialist in microwave (MW) and radio frequency (RF) industrial solutions based in Lyon, France, is set to showcase its sanitisation technologies at FIE, Food Ingredients Europe, which will take place from November 28th to 30th.

The company will focus on systems designed for the decontamination of various ingredients, including powders, peppercorns, flours, nuts, and more. Additionally, these systems can be used for the disinfestation of plant-based foods and ingredients such as cereals and pulses.

Sairem has responded to client demands by developing highly efficient processes that enable the production of ingredients to meet high health and cleanliness standards. These ingredients are also fully compatible with the requirements of organic farming certification.

This showcase at FIE, highlights Sairem’s elimination of potential contamination in ingredients. Sairem RF and MW systems for thermal treatments, offer a safe and eco-friendly solution for eliminating mould, yeast, and bacteria from ingredients.

Sairem’s systems are particularly well-suited for the production of trendy superfood products and plant-based protein alternatives. Precious ingredients like nuts undergo gentle treatment, resulting in a final product of exceptional quality with a reduction of 4-5 Log in microbial load. The highly efficient RF and MW process takes only a few minutes, ensuring that each ingredient quickly reaches the required temperature uniformly.

Since the processing time is so brief, there is no compromise on the physical, chemical, and organoleptic properties of the product – all its characteristics are perfectly preserved. Additionally, successful applications include the treatment of peppercorns (with a 3.4 Log reduction) and maize starch powder (achieving an impressive 6.87 Log reduction).

Numerous premium ingredients face the threat of contamination. Sairem’s MW technology presents a solution wherein parasites are deactivated through brief, homogenous exposure to a microwave field within a controlled temperature process. These processes are performed without the need of harmful chemical agents.

This makes Sairem’s decontamination systems a significant advantage for food processors and suppliers catering to health-conscious and environmentally aware consumers.

In partnership with the Sweden institute RISE and the French technical institute ARVALIS, Sairem demonstrate the efficacy of using our microwave heat treatment for eradicating weevils in soft wheat whilst also preserving the baking properties. The treatment under examination yielded outstanding disinfestation results of adult weevils and their offspring.

The low maintenance and cost-effective Sairem systems can process large amounts of product either in batches or in a continuous process in tunnels or the patented tubular system. MW energy efficiency and volumetric heating keep power consumption at a lower level than that of other processing technologies. As Sairem’s MW and RF technology are 100% electric solutions, they have no CO2 emission and consume 50 % less energy compared to traditional heat treatment processes.

Christina Frohm Kramer, business development manager at Sairem, explains: “Sairem systems are extremely versatile and efficient. They can be used for sanitising in the role of decontamination and disinfestation. We have designed them to provide fast and effective processes, ensuring high-performing, cost-saving results.”

Sairem offers standardised systems as well as systems specifically adapted to customer requirements.

Hall 3.1 Stand A185 Frankfurt, 28 – 30 November 2023

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