​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Membrane filtration solutions for dairy, plant-based and alternative ingredient products​

Membrane filtration supports efficient production of milk- and whey-based foods and beverages as well as high-value nutrients for infants, sports people, and seniors. It is also used to concentrate plant-based proteins, to purify alternative proteins – and for process water recovery and reuse. 

Whether you’ve worked with membrane filtration for some time or are new to the field, we’re here to help you learn more about this high-yield technology.

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Filtration applications

Milk pouring into glass

Filtration solutions for liquid milk

Membrane filtration plays a major role in milk processing. Apart from normal fat standardised pasteurised drinking milk it is used for nearly all dairy products

Whey powder in cup

​​​​​​​​​​​Filtration solutions for whey

One of the most common applications of membrane filtration in the dairy industry is the treatment of whey from cheese manufacturer.

Yoghurt with blueberries

Filtration for fermented dairy products

The ultrafiltration membrane separates the skimmed milk into two streams, allowing water, dissolved salts, lactose, and acids to pass through.

Milk and Whey

Filtration for milk and whey ingredients

Membrane technology is used in the production of bulk and specialty products like WPC/WPI, MPC/MPI, MCC/MCI, Lactoferrin, high-fat, demineralised whey and more

White cheese

Filtration solutions for high cheese yield & quality

Microfiltration removes impurities and harmful microorganisms from the cheese brine swiftly and efficiently while preserving the natural chemical balance

Plant-based beverages, oats, rice, almonds and chick peas

Filtration for plant-based foods and drinks

Membrane filtration is used in the dairy industry to create high-protein products and powder. For plant-based products possibilities are virtually unlimited.

Membrane filtration processing equipment

Tetra Pak UF system P on blue background

Tetra Pak® UF system P

Tetra Pak® UF system P is a pre-engineered ultrafiltration system for concentrating milk or whey proteins to make value-added dairy products. Like all ultrafiltration solutions, it uses membranes to remove water, minerals, and lactose from dairy streams during the production process. Tetra Pak UF system P comes in two versions: one adapted for the North American market and the other for the rest of the world.

Multi pilot plant spiral wound 60 bar from Tetra Pak

Rent or buy a pilot plant

You can rent or buy four different types of easy-to-use pilot plants from us. Use them to test a full range of dairy, plant-based or alternative protein filtration processes in a real-life production setting.

Enhance Production with Membrane Filtration

Are you innovating in food and beverage creation or focusing on product quality and production flexibility? Membrane filtration is the key.

 

Facing challenges like rapid product launches, quality maintenance, operational efficiency, and sustainable production for revenue growth, we understand your complexities.

 

Explore our engineered filtration solutions for both line and stand-alone applications, ensuring increased yield and maximum uptime.

Membrane filtration processes

Within the dairy industry, four different membrane filtration processes are used: microfiltration (MF), ultrafiltration (UF), nanofiltration (NF), and reverse osmosis (RO). The figure illustrates which milk and whey components can be concentrated by means of each process, depending on the density of the membrane.

Microfiltration

NF separates a range of minerals from a liquid, allowing only the fluid and certain monovalent ions to pass through the membrane.

• Bacterial removal
• Casein standardization
• Brine treatment
• Cheese milk preparation
• Fat removal
• Extended shelf life
• MCC production

Nanofiltration

NF separates a range of minerals from a liquid, allowing only the fluid and certain monovalent ions to pass through the membrane.

• Demineralized milk and whey
• Salt reduction
• High solids concentration
• Infant formula

Ultrafiltration

The ultrafiltration (UF) membrane separates the feed (e.g. skim milk) into two streams, allowing water, dissolved salts, lactose, and acids to pass through it in either direction, while retaining (and thereby concentrating) proteins and fat.

• Protein standardization
• Brine treatment
• Milk: MPC/MPI
• Whey: WPC/WPI
• Lactoferrin
• De-calcification

Reverse Osmosis

RO is the tightest possible membrane process in liquid separation. It concentrates the total solids, and only water can pass through the membrane; all dissolved and suspended material is rejected.

• Solids concentration
• Milk concentration
• Whey concentration
• UF permeate concentration
• Buttermilk concentration

Microfiltration Ultrafiltration

Microfiltration uses the most open type of membrane, which is used to separate bacteria, spores, and fat globules from the stream, and for fractionation of skim milk.

​ • New food fermentation
• Plant protein concentration, fractionation, and standardization
• Bacterial removal
• Juice clarification
• New protein sources
• Plant based drinks
• Plant based yoghurt
• Plant based protein ingredients
• Tofu
• Coconut, orange, and other juices

Reverse Osmosis Nanofiltration

RO is the tightest possible membrane process in liquid separation. It concentrates the total solids, and only water can pass through the membrane; all dissolved and suspended material is rejected.

• Solids concentration and standardization
• Sugar standardization
• Tea and coffee concentration
• Plant based powder

Reverse Osmosis Nanofiltration

Reverse Osmosis is the tightest possible membrane process in liquid separation. It concentrates the total solids, and only water can pass through the membrane; all dissolved and suspended material is rejected.

• Product recovery
• Process water recovery
• CIP chemical reclaim
• Reduction of freshwater consumption

View more

Explore membrane filtration tools and types

Man using membrane installation tool

Membrane tools

We offer a number of handy and easy-to-use systems and tools for installation, maintenance, and troubleshooting of your filtration system.

Membrane types

Membrane types

The heart in any membrane filtration process is the membrane itself, and choosing the best membrane for a given process is often a complex task.

Contact our sales team

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Discover how spiral-wound membranes work

Ever wondered how advanced spiral-wound membranes work? Watch this two-minute video and learn more about the process.

To further deepen your knowledge of spiral-wound membrane filtration, see our video on high-protein dairy products further down this page.

Spiral-wound membranes video