Members of the board of directors of the Technological Center for Food Innovation (CeTA), of which Fraunhofer Chile is a partner and co-executor, visited last Wednesday January 30th authorities of the University of Chile headed by its rector, Ennio Vivaldi, to present the state of progress of the project of Extraction Plant and Formulation of Functional Ingredients to be established in the Laguna Carén Technological Park.

CeTA -supported and financed by Corfo, through the Program for Foods Strengthening Technological Capacities- is part of the strategic initiatives of the Transforma Alimentos program.

Integrated by the University of Chile, Pontificia Universidad Católica, Universidad de Talca and Universidad de La Frontera, together with Fraunhofer Chile Research and Fundación Chile, its mission is to diversify and sophisticate the food production matrix by expanding the existing infrastructure and equipment capacities in the country.

In the meeting with the rector, representatives of CeTA's board of directors gave details about the project and the services that the pilot plant will provide. These include pre-treatment of raw materials, extraction and purification of ingredients, analysis of extracts, formulation and microencapsulation and prototypes of products.

Jean Paul Veas, executive director of CeTA, stressed that this plant will be added to the one that has already started operations in Temuco, corresponding to the South Node. This plant, of 400 square meters, houses a complex food processing and packaging system with state-of-the-art technology, which allows us to offer services such as development and innovation of containers and packaging, dehydration alternatives, juice and oil extraction lines, prototyping and beer piloting, among others," said Veas, pointing out that "this facility is located in an area of high food potential, as is the region of Araucania".

Architectural project

During the meeting with authorities of the University of Chile the architectural project of the plant that will be built in the Laguna Carén Technological Park was presented.

It is characterized by an avant-garde circular and sustainable design, which harmoniously integrates with the landscape of the park and where it emphasizes an interior patio with native flora and an open view towards the offices, laboratories and production sectors.

The new CeTA plant, which will become the first building in the Carén Park, will have an approximate surface area of 1,100 m2 and will offer state-of-the-art green technologies for the formulation of new healthy foods.

"This will allow large companies to scale up the testing of new products without having to stop their production lines, and smaller companies will be able to do so without the need to invest in the construction of piling facilities," explains Patricio Mandujano, project leader for the design, construction and infrastructure of the pilot plant in Fraunhofer Chile.

Pilar Parada, general manager of Fraunhofer Chile points out that "as soon as we have all the corresponding authorizations, the tender for the construction of the plant, whose first stone was laid in August 2017, will begin".