Reduce costs and increase sustainability of your dairy processes with ceramic membranes

Are you aiming to optimise your production, cut costs, and deliver innovative, sustainable dairy products? VITO’s advanced membrane processes enables you to achieve more, using less. Let’s unlock the future of dairy processing!

Proven in practice, easy to implement.

Why use ceramic membranes in dairy processing?

Superior product quality
Membrane filtration enables gentle, energy-efficient separation and concentration processes, preserving the nutritional and sensory properties of your dairy products. This results in higher yields and consistent quality-whether you’re producing milk, cheese, yogurt, or whey derivatives.
Operational cost savings
By integrating nanofiltration (NF) and ultrafiltration (UF) membranes, you can significantly reduce chemical consumption, water use, and waste generation. For example, partial demineralisation of milk whey with NF before ion exchange (IEX) can lower regeneration costs and increase batch output, as demonstrated in collaboration with FrieslandCampina.
Sustainability and compliance
Membrane processes align with clean-label and sustainability trends. They minimise environmental impact by reducing energy consumption, avoiding additives, and supporting circular water and resource management.
Process flexibility and scalability
VITO develops robust ceramic membranes, with advanced surface modification techniques. They offer high selectivity, durability, and easy cleaning. They are suitable for a wide range of dairy applications, from protein standardisation and lactose concentration to brine purification and extended shelf-life milk production. Ceramic membranes also allow for easy upscaling, making it an easy to implement technology.

Optimise your processes with VITO >

Proven results: The Mem4SusDiary Project

VITO’s recent Mem4SusDiary project showcased how tailored ceramic nanofiltration membranes can revolutionise dairy processing:

>98% lactose retention
>90% milk protein recovery
>50% demineralisation of whey

Other key results include:

Scalable to industrial multi-channel modules
Excellent cleanability and flux recovery (>85%) after multiple cycles
Competitive or superior to leading polymeric membranes in performance and cost-efficiency

These innovations are already helping industry leaders like FrieslandCampina make their core processes more sustainable and cost-effective. With broad replication potential, our solutions can be applied across the sector.

Succesverhaal

Working with industry machinery at a dairy factory stock photo

Milk whey, a by-product of cheese and dairy production, is rich in valuable nutrients but presents a processing challenge. Traditional demineralization methods, such as ion exchange (IEX) resins, are increasingly uneconomical due to rising costs for resin regeneration, chemicals, and water.