Lyras A/S is the first company to receive regulatory approval to use raslysation for industrial whey processing in Germany. The technology significantly reduces energy consumption compared with traditional pasteurisation.

The Danish cleantech company Lyras A/S has received regulatory approval to use raslysation for industrial whey processing in Germany, the company announces in a press release. Approval from the Bundesamt für Verbraucherschutz und Lebensmittelsicherheit (BVL) opens the door to one of Europe’s largest dairy markets.

The approval is the result of a collaboration with a German dairy and experts from the Max Rubner Institute. The installed system can process 45 cubic metres of whey per hour.

• The first installation in a new country is always the most demanding – especially in Germany. Raslysation of whey had not previously been approved here, which made the process particularly challenging. We are proud to have reached this important milestone in one of Europe’s largest and most significant dairy markets,” says Mark Kalhøj Andersen, CEO of Lyras A/S.

Gentle and energy-efficient

The technology is based on the ability of UV light to inactivate micro-organisms, but Lyras’ patented process makes it possible to apply the method in a controlled way to opaque liquids on an industrial scale. Unlike traditional pasteurisation, raslysation does not use heat, resulting in considerably lower energy consumption.

German dairy and cheese expert Joachim Löw sees major potential in the technology.

• The use of raslysation for whey processing is a breakthrough in the gentle treatment of liquids. The technology ensures effective reduction of micro-organisms without compromising the functional or sensory properties of the product, as is often the case with thermal methods, he says, predicting that raslysation will in many cases replace traditional pasteurisation or thermisation.

Additional operational benefits

According to Mark Kalhøj Andersen, the process also offers further operational advantages. No fouling occurs because of temperature differences, production time between CIP cycles can be extended, and the risk of recontamination in the regenerative zone is eliminated.

Lyras notes in the press release that the company’s raslysation systems are already in operation in several other European countries, where they are used for both cheesemilk and whey. Beyond the dairy industry, the technology can be applied to a wide range of opaque liquids in the food and beverage sectors.

By Maja Løvstrup

Photo: Lyras A/S