OptiCept® 2021: Game-Changing Technologies For a More Sustainable World
Johan Möllerström, CEO of Swedish company OptiCept, gives some insight into his company’s revolutionary technology that provides innovative solutions for the food and plant industries to enhance their performance and decrease waste.
Can you give us a brief overview of your company’s patented CEPT® technology?
OptiCept’s technology controls and supplies electrical pulses to optimize biological processes within the food industry.
Basically, short-term, high-voltage pulses are emitted, and this is called Pulsed Electric Field technology (PEF). It involves shattering the cell membrane and killing off any unwanted microorganisms.
This makes the extraction process involved with food much faster and way more efficient. There is minimal impact on the food quality and consumers are provided with higher-quality goods.
Compared to other technologies used today, much less energy consumption is involved with the use of PEF, making it a sustainable option with a minimal carbon footprint.
How did the idea first come about?
The CEPT® platform is a high-voltage generator combined with treatment chambers. The technology is primarily used within food production to increase extraction and extend sustainability.
Our founder wanted to improve efficiency and achieve results with far less energy consumption and power than anyone else had done before. We’ve achieved this goal.
We have patented treatment chambers and a patented generator, and the combination of these technologies has allowed us to achieve really good results with very low energy consumption.
How much of an impact has the company had on the food industry so far?
The largest impact so far has been with the olive oil industry. We have several installations around the Mediterranean and a couple in China at the moment. Our main focus is the olive oil sector as we are already quite far into the commercialization process.
However, we’re also launching other applications to do with avocado oil, and we have a pilot installation in Durban, South Africa.
The wine industry is another niche we’re looking at. We have a pilot installation in Languedoc, France, and with another well-known producer in Sicily. In addition, a commercial product for wine will be launched in the Southern Hemisphere this spring.
We’re also working with plant-based milks, and cold-brew tea is another sector we’re working toward.
How do you see the future of Food Tech?
The future of Food Tech is interesting as I think everybody in the industry needs to focus on delivering fresher, higher-quality food to the consumer. Sustainability needs to be built into every aspect, too.
Our goal is to see our system used as standard equipment in every applicable industry. Our technology alone can’t change the food industry but we can make a considerable impact.
What else lies ahead for OptiCept?
As mentioned before, avocado oil, the wine industry, plant-based milks, and cold-brew tea are all on the cards.
Overall, the goal will be to decrease the need for enzymes and the use of thermal heat within the food industry, allowing for a more nutrient-dense final product.
The world is our oyster!
