Biosolutions engineering and scale-up for food production

Regardless of whether your business relates to fermentation, plant-based protein, or upcycling of side streams, you will most likely face some of the same questions  known from scaling production in the traditional food industry, e.g.

Key questions before you scale up production

• Should I engage with a contract manufacturer or establish my own production?
• What is the best location for my production vs access to raw materials and the consumers as well as access to water and energy?
• How can I design my production logistics in order to minimize operating costs?
• What are the regulatory requirements for my production?
• How do I transform my sustainability ambitions into operation?
• What is the level of my capital expenditure in different production scenarios?
• What are the most efficient and effective process technologies for my product?

NIRAS provides straight answers to tough questions in relation to establishment of food production.

From feasibility study to full-scale plant

Whether you are a start-up, scale up, or established producer, we support you in all relevant aspects of your process innovation and  business development from initial feasibility studies to full-scale manufacturing, including:

• Business consulting expertise for market evaluation and feasibility studies
• Techno-economic assessment (TEA) of your business by integrating technical and financial modeling
• Efficient plant design that enable you to operate cost-effectively with a high product throughput while respecting hygienic and sustainability requirements
• Environmental aspects related to manufacturing - emissions assessment, recipient evaluation, and permitting.    

What are biosolutions in food production?

Biosolutions are products and processes that use living organisms, or components of them such as enzymes, to make food and food ingredients. In food production, they range from cultures and enzymes used in dairy and baking to new production platforms such as precision fermentation, biomass fermentation and upcycling of side streams into protein.

How are biosolutions used in the food industry?

In two main ways. As ingredients in existing processes, for example enzymes and cultures that improve texture or extend shelf life. And as production platforms for new ingredients, such as alternative proteins and fats made through fermentation, or protein extracted from grass and food side streams. The second requires new production facilities, which is where engineering and scale-up become critical.

What is the difference between precision fermentation and biomass fermentation?

In precision fermentation, microorganisms are engineered to produce a specific molecule, such as a protein or fat, which is then separated and purified. In biomass fermentation, the microorganism itself, for example fungal mycelium, is the product. The choice has a major impact on plant design, especially the scope and cost of downstream processing.

Should we use a contract manufacturer or build our own production facility?

It depends on your volumes, how mature and proprietary your process is, and your access to capital. A contract manufacturer gets you to market faster with less capital tied up. Your own plant gives you control over process, capacity and costs in the long run. A techno-economic assessment of both scenarios gives you a solid basis for the decision.

What is a techno-economic assessment (TEA)?

A techno-economic assessment combines a technical process model with a financial model to estimate capital expenditure, operating costs and production costs for a planned facility. It shows which process steps drive costs, how sensitive your business case is to key assumptions, and which production scenario is most viable before you invest.

How do you scale up a biosolutions process from pilot to commercial production?

Scale-up typically happens in stages: lab, pilot, demonstration and commercial scale. Each step tests whether yields, process control and downstream processing hold at larger volumes. Early decisions on location, utilities, hygienic design and permitting reduce the risk of costly redesign later in the project.