GEA unveils a new technology called perfusion, which includes the use of pilot scale bioreactors and a machine for rejuvenating the grown media.

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Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

GEA Unveils “Technological Milestone” for Food Biomanufacturing, Cutting Production Costs of Alt Proteins

GEA, a global leader in engineering systems for the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries, is unveiling what it claims to be a “technological milestone” — the perfusion platform — at the Anuga FoodTec trade show in Cologne, Germany. The perfusion platform consists of the GEA Axenic-line bioreactors and the GEA kytero single-use separator, designed to enhance productivity and cost efficiency in cell cultivation and precision fermentation. The technology promises to level the price difference between conventional and alternative foods. Tatjana Krampitz, Head of New Food Technology Management at GEA, comments, “We see perfusion as one of the most promising technologies because it cuts the production cost of alternative proteins on several fronts.”  Separating the cells GEA’s perfusion technology separates cells from already depleted nutrient solution and …

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GEA

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Manufacturing & Technology

GEA Announces $20 Million Investment in Wisconsin Alternative Protein Technology Center

GEA, a global leader in engineering systems for the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries, has revealed plans to invest EUR 18 million (approximately USD 20 million) in a state-of-the-art technology center focused on alternative proteins in Wisconsin, USA.  The new facility, to be located on the GEA Campus in Janesville, will specialize in piloting microbial, cell-based, and plant-based food technologies. The construction is scheduled to begin in spring 2024, and with an anticipated opening in 2025, the center aims to bridge the current gap in the market for industrial-scale production of alternative proteins. The technology center will help gear the company up to support the industry’s anticipated growth, as indicated in a GEA survey last year, which found that chefs expect a quarter of meals …

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GEA opens New Food Center to develop cultivated meat and precision fermentation products

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Company News

GEA Opens Alt Protein Pilot Center, Celebrates 60th Anniversary at ProPack Asia

GEA has inaugurated a central hub for alt proteins — featuring pilot lines for cell cultures and microbial fermentation — to test and produce cultivated meat and animal-free dairy alternatives. Located in Hildesheim, Germany, the New Food Application and Technology Center of Excellence (ATC) will enable customers to “fast-track” innovations from the lab to commercial-scale manufacturing. “Establishing and scaling up a new food production facility is a major task,” said Heinz Jürgen Kroner, Senior Vice President of New Food at GEA. “In many cases, new food producers are still stuck at the lab scale – with the hygiene, aseptic, and process requirements that involves. On the other hand, industrial-scale manufacturing presents much greater technical and financial challenges,” he continued. Commercial feasibility According to GEA, the center …

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CutMaster meat processing machine

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Manufacturing & Technology

How a Meat Processing Machine With an 80-Year History Became Widely Used in Alt Meat Production

Over the decades, the CutMaster meat processing machine developed by German production technology giant GEA has evolved to become widely used in the production of plant-based meats. The first iteration of the machine, then called the Propeller Blitz, was developed 80 years ago to cut and blend sausage meat. As demand increased, the machine was made larger with two independently driven knife heads. By the 1970s, the machine could automate tasks such as loading and discharging. Over the next few decades, it evolved to be Internet-connected, with the ability to monitor speed, temperature, and service issues. The speed of the knife heads was increased, and their configuration could now be altered depending on the recipe. Increased flexibility The machine — now known as the CutMaster …

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CEO Stefan Klebert. © GEA

Studies & Numbers

GEA Chef Survey Predicts a Quarter of Meals Will Contain Alt Proteins by 2040

A survey by GEA, a supplier of systems and components to the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries, has found that chefs believe a quarter of meals could contain alt proteins by 2040. Of the 1000 chefs surveyed, 43% said that between 26 and 50% of meals would be prepared with alt proteins by this date, while almost a quarter of participants believed the figure could be over 50%. 90% said they were already using alt proteins, and a third were using them to a significant extent. High growth in demand Additionally, 90% of chefs had seen growing interest in meat and dairy alternatives, with over 40% saying demand was high. 95% believed diners would demand more plant-based options in the coming years, and 45% expected …

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Company News

Production Technology Giant GEA Says it is Riding the Alt-Meat Wave

GEA, one of the leading suppliers of processing and packaging solutions for food, which reportedly “plays a part in producing every third chicken nugget, one quarter of the processed milk, and every other litre of beer in the world”, says it is becoming increasingly involved in the production of alt protein. The German company says it has significant experience in extracting protein from plant material and processing a mixture of high-quality ingredients. Its technology portfolio helps processors to create meatless foods based on various sources, including: Frozen vegetables or vegetable-based mixes Texturized vegetable protein (TVP) Soy or wheat-based protein Single-cell protein (e.g., mycoprotein) Other plant-based protein In the meat-free segment, customers’ needs are different compared to the demands of the original meat processing business, explains …

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Interviews

GEA: “GEA Food Solutions Has All the Ingredients to Help You Lead in a World of Changing Tastes”

Founded in 1881  and headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany, GEA Food Solutions is one of the largest suppliers of technology in the world. Vegconomist had the pleasure of speaking with the company’s food application technologist, Nils Beyer, about GEA’s entrance into the meat replacement industry. Can you please give us a brief overview of GEA Food Solutions? GEA is an international engineering company and a major supplier for the food processing industry. Our focus is on providing leading equipment technologies, sharing process know-how and application expertise for meat and seafood, pure vegetable and meat replacement products. GEA Food Solutions has all the ingredients to help you lead in a world of changing tastes.   Which equipment does GEA use for meat replacement products? Please explain the …

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