Food waste drying for high‑value products
Efficient food drying is essential to preserve quality, extend shelf life, and minimize waste in modern food and agricultural production. Drying with superheated steam can transform residues into valuable products while improving energy efficiency and sustainability.
Superheated steam drying improves energy efficiency and sustainability while preserving food quality, extending shelf life, and creating value from residues.
Why efficient food drying matters
People have used dehydration to preserve food for centuries by drying meat, fish, fruits and vegetables. The drying process removes water through evaporation using different methods such as sun drying, air drying and freeze drying.
Water and moisture bind bacteria and microorganisms, so drying food significantly prolongs shelf life. At the same time, drying reduces size and weight, which makes storage and transportation easier and more cost‑effective.
Benefits of superheated steam food drying
Another effective method is drying food with superheated steam. Compared with traditional hot air drying, superheated steam can be more energy efficient and gentler on the product while still delivering fast drying.
Drying food with superheated steam has proven product enhancement properties. Steam drying enhances flavor, helps retain nutritional values, expands fibers and makes the product sterile, which is ideal for high‑value food and feed ingredients.
The food industry generates large volumes of residues every day, and many still end up in landfills. This is not only an environmental problem but also a missed opportunity for new value streams.
With the right drying solution, these residues can be transformed into energy, high-value animal feed or new food ingredients. For example, brewers’ dark grain can be dried and milled into flour with higher fiber content, reduced calories and increased protein and amino acids compared to conventional flours.
Superheated steam drying is suitable for a wide range of agricultural and food products, from primary raw materials to by-products and residues. Typical applications include, but are not limited to:
- Cereals, grains and agricultural biomass.
- Fruits, vegetables and plant-based ingredients.
- Brewer’s spent grain and by-products from beverage production.
- Residues from juice production and other liquid food processes.
- Ingredients for high-value animal feed based on food and agro by-products.
By upgrading residues to new products, producers can create additional revenue streams, strengthen sustainability performance and reduce disposal costs.
The Exergy superheated steam dryer (ExergyPSSD®) is a closed-loop, indirect-contact dryer. The heating media never comes into direct contact with the product, which makes it ideal for sensitive applications like food and feed.
In the dryer, superheated steam is used as the drying and conveying medium. Moisture evaporated from the product becomes part of the steam and can be recirculated and reused, which improves overall energy efficiency.
The ExergyPSSD® offers a combination of product quality, safety and energy efficiency that traditional air dryers cannot match. Key benefits include:
- Lowest total life cycle cost compared with conventional dryers
- No risk of fire or explosion thanks to the oxygen‑free system
- Small ground footprint even for large capacities
- No air emissions or odors
- Low net energy consumption with the possibility to reuse steam in other processes
The food industry generates large volumes of residues every day, and many still end up in landfills. This is not only an environmental problem but also a missed opportunity for new value streams.
With the right drying solution, these residues can be transformed into energy, high-value animal feed or new food ingredients. For example, brewers’ dark grain can be dried and milled into flour with higher fiber content, reduced calories and increased protein and amino acids compared to conventional flours.
Superheated steam drying is suitable for a wide range of agricultural and food products, from primary raw materials to by-products and residues. Typical applications include, but are not limited to:
- Cereals, grains and agro biomass.
- Fruits, vegetables and plant-based ingredients.
- Brewer’s spent grain and by-products from beverage production.
- Residues from juice production and other liquid food processes.
- Ingredients for high-value animal feed based on food and agro by-products.
By upgrading residues to new products, producers can create additional revenue streams, strengthen sustainability performance and reduce disposal costs.
The Exergy superheated steam dryer (ExergyPSSD®) is a closed-loop, indirect-contact dryer. The heating media never comes into direct contact with the product, which makes it ideal for sensitive applications like food and feed.
In the dryer, superheated steam is used as the drying and conveying medium. Moisture evaporated from the product becomes part of the steam and can be recirculated and reused, which improves overall energy efficiency.
The ExergyPSSD® offers a combination of product quality, safety and energy efficiency that traditional air dryers cannot match. Key benefits include:
- Lowest total life cycle cost compared with conventional dryers
- No risk of fire or explosion thanks to the oxygen‑free system
- Small ground footprint even for large capacities
- No air emissions or odors
- Low net energy consumption with the possibility to reuse steam in other processes