Improved process for production of potato protein as food
Date: 14.05.2025
Starch and fibers are separated from potatoes. The resulting potato fruit water is first upgraded through pre-treatment (degassing, clarification, germ removal and eventually adsorption).
The novelty of the developed process lies in the subsequent pre-concentration of the product by means of reverse osmosis. This has the advantage that not only the proteins but also the raw material's own salts are concentrated (both with yields of > 99%). During reverse osmosis, the dry matter increases from 2.5-4% to 8-14% and the conductivity from 5-10 mS/cm to 20-30 mS/cm. The higher salt content ensures that the proteins remain in solution in the subsequent ultrafiltration process step. As a result, ultrafiltration can be operated with more efficient process parameters (higher permeate fluxes, thus better equipment utilization).
It is also state of the art that proteins are often washed in the course of ultrafiltration to remove impurities such as bitter substances (diafiltration). In other production processes, the proteins are often washed with salt solutions to keep them in solution. With the introduction of reverse osmosis, drinking water can be used for washing, as the salt concentration is already very high before diafiltration. This reduces the consumption of chemicals and improves the ecological balance of the process.
In addition, reverse osmosis produces water that can be used for washing the proteins. This means that no additional water is required for the process.
In a final step, the potato protein is dried. The resulting protein isolate is very soluble and has highly functional properties (emulsifying, gelling, foaming). It can therefore be used for a wide variety of foods.