With the increased strain on resources and food supply demands, food systems need a newer model, and the solution may be membrane filtration systems, says the Dutch company Wafilin Systems, in a conversation with TopDutch.
In 2004, Wailin Systems, the self-proclaimed “Masters in Membranes”, was established in Leeuwarden’s WaterCampus, the home of much of the innovation and research of technology relating to the water sector. Here, the membrane enterprise was able to develop and grow in collaboration with local research institutes and field experts.
Since it was founded, the company has focused on developing processes that aim to innovate the sustainability and quality of food and beverages.
“We enable our customers to make their processes more sustainable and recover valuable components and ingredients from their resources,” Research and Development Director, Jos van Dalfsen, told TopDutch.
Their membrane filtration technology offers the ability to increase the health quality of products through processes such as the recovery of proteins from plant-based sources. Additionally, the membrane systems can reduce the energy and water used during product manufacturing, a financially and environmentally appealing quality.
Henk Schonewille, Wafilin Systems’ CEO, cites a potato protein extraction project partnered with Avebe, a starch cooperative and manufacturer, as an example of the impact of their work: “Twenty percent of a potato consists of water that is extracted. However, that water still has two percent of protein that used to end up in the wastewater. With a new purification system, Avebe is able to filter this protein from its wastewater and now it is used for feed,” he says.
Although the production of their membranes is outsourced, Wailin Systems is the one in charge of the full-scale system delivery, ensuring it selects the most appropriate membrane system for their client’s specific needs, explained Van Dalfsen.
20 years after its creation, Wafilin Systems has expanded its endeavours into a new office space in Leeuwarden, but its commitment to its membrane filtration systems remains.
