Instant Controlled Pressure Drop in Food Processing : From Fundamental to Industrial Applications

The use of Instant Controlled Pressure Drop (D.I.C.) in food processing operations is relatively new when compared with other conventional or innovative technologies. In addition to existing applications such as drying, texturing and decontamination, D.I.C. technology has been shown to be highly appropriate for an ever-growing number of uses and with a wide range of raw materials. Some examples are post-harvesting and drying of fruits and vegetables; cereal steaming; extraction of essential oils and active molecules, where D.I.C. may be combined with supercritical fluids, ultrasound or microwaves; and the hydrolysis of cellulose and the transesterification of lipids.

This book presents a complete picture of current knowledge on the use of D.I.C. in food processing, preservation and extraction. It provides a comprehensive compilation, summarizing the fundamentals of D.I.C. technology, current developments, new research findings, safety precautions and environmental impacts. It will also contribute to widening the scope of D.I.C. technology through the inclusion of some much-needed examples of industrial applications. Each chapter of the book is complementary to the other chapters. They all are based on presentations of reputed international researchers and address the latest progress in the field.

Professor Karim ALLAF heads a research team working on the intensification of eco-processes at La Rochelle University. He is a physicist and an expert in the thermodynamics of “instantaneity”.

Dr. Tamara ALLAF is the R&D manager of ABCAR-DIC Process Company. A chemical engineer, she obtained her Ph.D. in innovative extraction processes.

Pr. Karim ALLAF is the Director of the research team on “Eco-Processes and Agro-Industrial Technologies” at La Rochelle University. He has conceived and developed specific activities on the technology of Instant Controlled Pressure Drop (DIC), which he has defined, optimized, and transferred towards various industrial sectors, using it in drying, texturing, extraction, and decontamination operations. Pr. ALLAF has 9 Patents and 17 extensions (mainly regarding DIC technology), 216 international papers and numerous European and industrial reports (34). Pr. ALLAF has been the supervisor of 23 PhD works.

Tamara ALLAF is a chemical engineer from the University of Technology of Compiègne. She is in charge of the R&D department at ABCAR-DIC Process-France, an engineering company working on developing DIC technology at the industrial scale. Her main work is based on mass transfers regarding extraction through DIC combined with other innovative techniques. She collaborated on creating the Joint Venture of ABCAR-DIC Process in Malaysia, which uses DIC to enhance and improve standard processes in terms of drying, decontamination and extraction.