About this project
Explore the people, research centres and partner organisations behind this project.
In collaboration with
Norman Maloney, OHM-E Technology
"The collaboration of industry and academia to innovate on novel and energy saving processes is critical in addressing societal challenges such as food security, sustainability, safety and the minimisation of waste.”
Get in touch
Contact the AFIC to discuss collaborations, facilities, funding and learning.
Email AFICIncreasing food production sustainability with Ohmic Heating
About this project
Explore the people, research centres and partner organisations behind this project.
In collaboration with
Norman Maloney, OHM-E Technology
"The collaboration of industry and academia to innovate on novel and energy saving processes is critical in addressing societal challenges such as food security, sustainability, safety and the minimisation of waste.”
Get in touch
Contact the AFIC to discuss collaborations, facilities, funding and learning.
Email AFICIn 2021, the FDF announced that “emissions associated with food and drink consumed in the UK account for around 21% of the UK’s total carbon footprint.”
To increase sustainability in food production, we’ve developed a ‘living lab’ approach to research and innovation. This is to support the creation of new, energy efficient food system innovations and ready technology for adoption across the sector.
Where the Ohmic Heating journey began
In 2018, following a grant from the EU, experts from our Advanced Food Innovation Centre (AFIC), led by Dr Hongwei Zhang, collaborated with six other leading universities in Europe as part of the MEFPROC project.
As part of this ambitious project, we developed an on-site ‘Continuous Flow Ohmic Heater’ (CFOH) pilot plant in collaboration with OHM-E Technology.
Ohmic Heating, a type of Moderate Electric Field (MEF) processing, is a method of heating food by passing a direct electric current through it. In doing so, the food acts as a conductor, allowing electrical energy to dissipate directly into the food. This direct application of electricity, if from renewable resources, can improve process sustainability and help the food industry achieve net-zero.
This pilot scale innovation led to three PhD projects as well as AFIC’s pivotal role in the South Yorkshire Sustainability Centre, connecting academic expertise with local businesses, public sector organisations and charities to overcome sustainability challenges.
Follow on funding
The pilot study presented opportunities to explore other challenges faced by the food industry, such as uneven heating, reduced food quality through over-processing, which could inform future spending on food processing technology.
AFIC secured £230k in further funding through Innovate UK as part of the Better Food for All competition - "Advanced Continuous Flow Ohmic Heating for solid-liquid foods."
This research developed through a partnership with Premier Foods, tested the application of CFOH technology on a range of the company’s sauces to assess how effectively it ensures consistent heating while maintaining optimal nutritional quality.
The outcome, OhmNet, provides an advanced neural network-based viscosity prediction of sauces for efficient Ohmic heating processing. It gives food manufacturers the potential to achieve a balance between enhanced food nutrition and reduced carbon impact. Find the article here: LinkedIn