ALICANTE, 20 May. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Applied Electrochemistry and Electrocatalysis research group at the University of Alicante (UA) has developed a device for desalting food, based on the electrodialysis technique, which can be used in both the hospitality and industrial sectors, since it “shortens the desalination times and reduces the consumption of water necessary” for this process.
Currently, in the food industry, several methods are used for the desalination of a salty food product, of which the most used is the immersion method. However, this method “does not allow precise control of the variables in the desalination process,” as indicated by the Alicante academic institution in a statement.
In this way, the device designed by the UA researchers, led by the University of Alicante researcher, Vicente Montiel, allows a salty food product to be desalted “using a quantity of water normally lower than that used in conventional processes and in a much shorter time.”
Among its “advantages”, the UA has highlighted that it avoids having to replace the water periodically or continuously adding water and allows you to select the desalination time, which is directly related to the percentage or degree of desalination that you want to achieve for the culinary application. desired, without affecting either the texture or the quality of the treated food product.
In addition, the device is easily scalable and its configuration can be adapted, both for industrial applications and for small hospitality appliances. Currently, they are developing a custom prototype for the hospitality industry.
This technology, protected by patent application, can be applied to desalin products such as cod, salted bacon, marine sausages, seaweed, anchovies, sardines, herrings and olives with excess salt, among others.
The Research Results Transfer Service (OTRI) has launched a technological offer to find companies interested in acquiring this technology for commercial exploitation through patent licensing agreements, R&D projects, development projects to adapt them to the needs of the interested party and proof of concept projects, among others.
The profile of the companies sought by the OTRI corresponds to manufacturers of industrial machinery for the food sector and manufacturers of household appliances for the hospitality sector.