To be able to continue to supply the world's growing population with vital nutrients and at the same time use the available resources sparingly, the nature of protein sources will change in the future.
The solution? Alternative proteins. This is because food of animal origin can be replaced with plant proteins, precision fermentation or cultivation of biomass, all of which provide equivalent products. And the increased efficiency in production means that natural resources are used more efficiently.
Krones supports food manufacturers in the production of alternative proteins – both during design of the process technology and when scaling up to a higher production output.

At a glance

• Process expertise and market know-how in the food and beverage industry
• Ideally coordinated technological solutions
• Economic conceptual design of the complete installation
• Energy-efficient process

A concrete example of the cultivation and replication of such proteins is biomass production. Here, cells are placed in a tank where cell multiplication is initiated. And this is exactly where Krones comes into play with its own bioreactor. The key factor: It was developed on the basis of the proven fermentation unit Poseidon(opens external link in a new tab) from Steinecker from brewing technology and works with a circulation unit instead of an agitator. In addition, the recirculation unit is equipped with aseptic valve technology from Evoguard and a low-shear aseptic pump. Integrated in a sterile tank with steam or condensate barrier, cells can be cultivated or fermentations carried out.

The recirculation of the tank volume under sterile conditions is the key task of an efficient fermentation process.

Our expertise

• Manufacturing halls specially designed for tank construction
• Automated processes for tank dome and shell production
• Precisely coordinated work steps, carried out by qualified welders
• High-performance and program-controlled production machines for cutting, drawing and welding work
• Highest quality through a globally recognised and standardised welding and inspection procedure
• Surface treatment with polishing and pickling solutions, including ceramic blasting of the outer surfaces

Efficient solution for high production outputs

The use of a recirculation unit enables the realisation of high production volumes, and the costs still remain within reasonable limits.

Use of approved technology

The bioreactor was developed on the basis of the Steinecker Poseidon(opens external link in a new tab) fermentation unit, well-tried from the brewing industry, that has already successfully proven its worth in practical use at numerous breweries.

Many years of experience in plant engineering

Decades of expertise in process technology are deeply ingrained within the Krones group. Especially, the expertise of the subsidiary Steinecker in the brewing industry can also be adapted to biotechnological applications. Customers who want to open up completely new markets in the area of vegan food alternatives are now also benefiting from this knowledge and are utilising Steinecker's proven
technology to do so.