Publications

  • Abstract

    Food processing technology research and development activites have historically been driven by large-scale manufacture upscaling drivers to profit from economies of scale. Increasing demand for high-quality food with pioneering texture profiles, consumer needs for personalised products impacting product formulation (i.e., fat, sugar and micronutrient content), and constrained availability of ingredients and resources are pressuring industrialists to utilise alternative technologies to enable a more sustainable food supply. Distributed and localised food manufacturing (DLM) has been identified as a promising strategy towards future sustainable systems wth technology representing one of its cornerstones. Innovative methods and tools to support the selection of the best alternative technologies for DLM are required. This paper provides an overview of food processing technologies and includes a novel classification created to support future assessments. A novel qualitative assessment method encompassing multiple criteria to understand specific food technologies suitability for future DLM systems is presented. Finally, research benefits are explored through the application of the assessment method to several selected technologies with promising potential in future food manufacturing. The results demonstrate that this methodological approach can assist in the adoption of DLM food systems through the selection of the best technologies integrating individual manufacturer requirements.

    SMART authors: Shahin Rahimifard , Pedro Gimenez-Escalante

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  • Abstract

    Existing large-scale centralised food production practices are often unsustainable due to requirements for significant transportation of both raw materials and finished products. These approaches also require substantial concentrated demands on energy and water. In addition, increasing amounts of food waste are being generated worldwide by manufacturers and retailers due to their dependence on unreliable demand forecasting methods as part of centralised production practices. Regulatory pressures and policy requirements as well as consumer demands for increased variety, improved traceability, and healthy diets are forcing manufacturers and retailers to reconsider their ingredient sourcing, production, storage, and distribution strategies. “Distributed and Localised Manufacturing” (DLM) aims to provide the food sector with capabilities to improve the efficiency of production systems, to optimise logistics operations across supply chains, and to extend the shelf life of products. However, to achieve these potential benefits, the implementation of DLM will involve many challenges that need to be carefully considered and addressed. This article explores these challenges and describes four specific implementation models to aid with the development of innovative and appropriate DLM structures for various food products.

     

    Link to Loughborough University Institutional Repository:

    https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/dspace-jspui/handle/2134/28445

    SMART authors: Shahin Rahimifard , Pedro Gimenez-Escalante

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  • Abstract

    One of the most prominent challenges commonly acknowledged by modern manufacturing industries is ‘how to produce more with fewer resources?’ Nowhere is this more true than in the food sector due to the recent concerns regarding the long-term availability and security of food products. The unique attributes of food products such as the need for fresh perishable ingredients, health risks associated with inappropriate production environment, stringent storage and distributions requirements together with relatively short post-production shelf-life makes their preparation, production and supply considerably different to other manufactured goods. Furthermore, the impacts of climate change on our ability to produce food, the rapidly increasing global population, as well as changes in demand and dietary behaviours both within developed and developing countries urgently demands a need to change the way we grow, manufacture and consume our food products. This paper discusses a number of key research challenges facing modern food manufacturers, including improved productivity using fewer resources, valorisation of food waste, improving the resilience of food supply chains, localisation of food production, and utilisation of new sustainable sources of nutrition for provision of customised food products.

    Link to Loughborough University Repository:

    https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/24925

    SMART authors: Shahin Rahimifard , Guillermo García García , Jamie Stone , Patrick Webb , Aicha Jellil , Sandeep Jagtap , Pedro Gimenez-Escalante

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  • Innovative Manufacturing Technologies for Redistributed Manufacturing 2016, Food, Energy and Water Local Nexus Network

    Abstract

    This report aims to provide an overview of food technologies that could support the
    wider adoption and application of Re-Distributed Manufacturing (RDM) in the food
    sector, and has been developed as part of a series of feasibility studies under the
    umbrella of the ‘Food, Energy and Water Local Nexus Network’ (LNN) for RDM. The
    technologies include both traditional food processing technologies that could be
    reconfigured to be used in smaller scale and also a number of new emerging food
    technologies that currently may have limited commercial applications, but could
    provide significant potential in the context of RDM. These technologies are assessed
    against fourteen specifically defined criteria in order to identify their benefits and
    drawbacks for future applications of RDM.
     
    One of the main findings of this study has been that RDM, as an innovative
    production structure, necessitates further research, innovation and development
    (RID) in order to enable successful applications by food businesses. These RID
    activities could be categorised under three areas of process level, product level and
    system level innovations. In this context, a number of key research questions
    regarding future development of food technologies for small scale production
    systems are presented. Based on these, the report also presents a number of
    specific research challenges that need to be addressed in order to develop a viable
    and sustainable approach to the production of food products on smaller scales
    (redistributed) and closer to the source of consumption (localised), whilst preserving
    the safety and maintaining the quality of manufactured food.
     
    Finally, one of the main conclusions of this study is that increasing productivity,
    improving resilience and reducing waste are important considerations upon which
    the future of the UK food sector must be founded, and distributed manufacturing of
    our food products will play a vital role in the achievement of these goals.

    SMART authors: Shahin Rahimifard , Pedro Gimenez-Escalante

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