More food and beverage processors are adding anaerobic digestion operations to their manufacturing plants to combat the growing problem of food waste while saving on energy costs. But to maximize the ROI of anaerobic digestion, food and beverage manufacturers need to incorporate innovative heating, pasteurization and concentration technologies that optimize the process.
According to the USDA Economic Research Service, up to 63 million tons of food is wasted across the U.S. supply chain every year. But many food and beverage processors are mitigating that waste by using anaerobic digestion, a series of biological processes in which microorganisms break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen. Processing organic wastes through anaerobic digestion not only cuts greenhouse gas emissions by diverting waste from landfills, it generates homegrown renewable energy and produces a biofertilizer (digestate), rich in valuable nutrients, such as nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous. Manufacturers can sell that biofertilizer to farmers, growers and even gardeners, bringing in extra revenue.
