MIDECO: CO₂ technology to kill pathogens in food

The objective of the German-Canadian research cooperation between Fraunhofer UMSICHT and the University of Alberta (Canada) is to develop a decontamination technology using compressed carbon dioxide that kills pathogenic microorganisms in foods with low water activity while also guaranteeing high food quality. The research focuses on almonds as a model matrix for foods with low water activity. The aim is to transfer the technology concept to other food products. Testing will initially take place on a laboratory scale and will then be transferred to a pilot plant station scale.

Above all children, the elderly, pregnant women and people with a weakened immune system are susceptible to food poisoning caused by the consumption of microbially contaminated food. According to a study by the World Health Organization, one in ten people suffers from food poisoning once a year. This means that there are 600 million cases of illness and 420.000 deaths worldwide every year. In recent years, more and more foods with low water activity have been affected by recalls of contaminated products. These foods include almonds, peanuts, nut pies, dried fruits and vegetables, dried meat, dairy products (e.g. milk powder), and dried teas, herbs, and spices.

For the food industry, this global development results in an urgent need for decontamination technologies that can be used internationally and guarantee high food quality in addition to food safety. The MiDeCO₂ project addresses precisely this objective.

MiDeCO₂ makes an important contribution to the “National Research Strategy BioEconomy 2030“ by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). With this strategy, the German government has laid the foundations for the vision of a sustainable bio-based economy by the year 2030, in which, among other things, securing the world's food supply and producing healthy and safe food play a central role.

Universität von Alberta (Kanada)