Potato Protein
The potato is not just an outstanding source of starch. The fruitwater produced when starch is made contains high-quality and thus valuable protein. This protein can be recovered by the starch industry in further process steps which enable it to be traded as animal feed, for example. This extra process also results in a considerable reduction in the waste water burden for the industry.
Depending on the process management system, GEA Westfalia Separator starch units can separate up to 95 percent of the potato fruitwater and pass it on for protein to be recovered.
Integrated process line from GEA Westfalia Separator for obtaining potato protein
In the process, the fruitwater reaches the protein unit directly under pressure and with oxygen excluded, preventing negative symptoms such as heavy foam formation and oxidation of the product. Following initial heating with plate heat exchangers, acid/heat coagulation flocculates the potato protein.
The protein is then efficiently dewatered by decanters especially designed for this application which achieve maximum dewatering of the coagulate and optimum clarification of the residual waste water. A screw transports the dewatered potato protein to the drying stage. The protein powder can then be packed ready for sale.
The clarified residual fruitwater is fed back into the initial heating phase on the counter-current principle. This allows a high proportion of the heat energy it contains to be used to pre-heat the fruitwater instead of this energy having to be supplied from outside at high cost.
The residual fruitwater is waste water which can be sprayed onto fields, evaporated in evaporators or appropriately purified in sewage plants.