Company identifies new food ingredients product with the potential to reduce on-site water consumption by 15% and wastewater emisisons by 65%
The Cleaner Greener Production Programme (CGPP) provided Atlanfish with a framework in which to investigate the potential for reusing/recycling the significant quantities of wastewater generated during the processing of crab at its Donegal-based plant, which is one of the largest crab processing facilities in Europe. Typically, wastewater generated during the crab cooking process contains a high level of pollutants. Atlanfish believed that this wastewater could have the potential for re-use, either as a food ingredient or as a flavouring product. As part of its involvement in the Cleaner Greener Production Programme, Atlanfish decided to carry out extensive on-site trials on a membrane-filtration process, which preliminary investigations had shown would produce a distinctively crab-flavoured concentrated liquid containing high levels of proteins and salt. The membrane-filtration process was also shown to produce sterile salt water, which could be recycled for re-use in the overall cooking process. Specific environmental benefits that potentially could accrue as a result of the company’s participation in this CGPP project include a 15% annual reduction in onsite water consumption and a 65% annual reduction in wastewater emissions from the plant.
For further details, see the Atlanfish Ltd. PDF.
