Summary
- Profile Type
- Technology offer
- POD Reference
- TOES20231123007
- Term of Validity
- 23 November 2023 - 22 November 2024
- Company's Country
- Spain
- Type of partnership
- Research and development cooperation agreementCommercial agreement with technical assistance
- Targeted Countries
- All countries
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General information
- Short Summary
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A Spanish technology center offers RVA (rapid visco analyzer) for gluten-free flours, which makes it possible to characterize the viscosity of samples, compare them with each other and analyze formulations, saving testing time during industrial scale-up. The results achieved will be very useful for companies that produce gluten-free bakery and pastries, as well as sauces and other instant preparations.
The center seeks commercial agreement and/or research and development cooperation agreement - Full Description
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The Spanish technology center was set up 25 years ago as the result of the need of training demanded by the milling and bakery companies in Castilla y León, in the north of Spain.
It developed several departments such as profesional training, enterprise counselling in agrifood matters, analytical testing and research and development, responsible of this technology. The background and experience of the researchers have allowed the development of several complex tests focused on the cereal-grain based industries.
Gluten-free products demand is increasing due to the incidence of celiac disease or other gluten- associated pathologies. However, the elimination of gluten is a great technological challenge.
The first difficulty to overcome is that characterization of both flours and other gluten-free ingredients is much more limited than their gluten-containing counterparts, as they are not able to develop a gluten network.
That is why the need to use other equipment able to evaluate the characteristics of raw materials before their use in the food manufacturing process arises.
In this context, the RVA stands out as a device capable of analyzing the viscosity of flours, with or without the addition of other ingredients. This equipment fundamentally measures changes in starch, which in the case of gluten-free products is one of its main components.
Another important problem encountered by gluten-free food producers is the lack of homogeneity of their raw materials, making their processing difficult.
Being able to anticipate problems with an appropriate characterization of your ingredients or mixtures would mean a significant saving of time and economic resources.
To date, previous studies and the experience of the researchers have allowed them to have a wide range both in the analyzes to be carried out with these raw materials and in the interpretation of the results that can be obtained from this equipment. In addition, this is associated with the limited availability of this technology in other Spanish laboratories.
All these highlights are indicative of the great relevance that the results obtained would imply.
They are looking for either a company that commercialises the test or an enterprise in seek of this kind of technology through commercial agreement and/or research and development cooperation agreement. - Advantages and Innovations
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The main advantage of using the RVA resides in being able to foresee technological behavior of the flours before its use and prior to processing.
Characterizing the raw materials and being able to establish their variation ranges considerably increase the chances of success in the products elaboration.
In addition, due to the equipment versatility, it is even possible to design specific tests able to predict the ingredients behavior during their cooking or heating processes.
It is estimated that this technology will be of importance for Agrofood and Food companies, working in gluten free cereals, flours and products. It is not only aimed at human food companies, but is also useful in the manufacture of animal feed, among others.
There are only a few laboratories in Spain that have this technology. Some of them are in large flour mills and are only used for the analysis of the quality of the raw material (as a comparison).
In general, it is a desktop unit, easy to use that requires a computer and to be connected to a water tap.
It is also easy to handle, staff does not require extensive training. In addition, it requires a small amount of samples.
The advantage of this technology center has in this test is that the researchers have extensive knowledge of both raw materials and equipment where other laboratories do not cover the interpretation of results and, consequently, the complementary information that can be obtained from the test, or the adaptation of tests according to the needs of the client. - Stage of Development
- Already on the market
- Sustainable Development Goals
- Goal 3: Good Health and Well-beingGoal 4: Quality EducationGoal 12: Responsible Consumption and ProductionGoal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
Partner Sought
- Expected Role of a Partner
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Type of partner: The results achieved will be very useful for companies that produce gluten-free bakery and pastries, as well as sauces and other instant preparations.
It is not only aimed at human food companies but is also useful in the manufacture of animal feed, among others.
Role of the partner: The collaborator must provide the flours that they want to characterize and any other information that could be useful, such as what will be the product they want to elaborate or special conditions of the process. - Type and Size of Partner
- Big companyUniversitySME 11-49R&D InstitutionSME 50 - 249
- Type of partnership
- Research and development cooperation agreementCommercial agreement with technical assistance
Call details
- Coordinator required
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Yes
Dissemination
- Technology keywords
- 08001002 - Food Additives/Ingredients/Functional Food08001005 - Food Technology08002002 - Food Microbiology / Toxicology / Quality Control008003 - Nutrition and Health08002001 - Detection and Analysis methods
- Market keywords
- 05007007 - Other medical/health related (not elsewhere classified)09005 - Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, Animal Husbandry & Related Products
- Targeted countries
- All countries