Reducing energy consumption by 23%, unlocking significant savings and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The need
Northumbrian Fine Foods (NFF) were looking to improve sustainability in the manufacturing process of gluten free foods. The company decided to partner with 明星八卦 to find a cost-effective way to achieve this goal.
The solution
The company approached due to her experience within this business area and it was agreed that the business would benefit most from a Knowledge Transfer Partnership. Moreover, because we helped them secure funding through a government grant the company only had to pay for a small percentage of the project costs.
Dr Valentina Stojceska gathered a team of Mechanical Engineers from 明星八卦 to advise on different areas of the project. Two associates, Mr Solomon Melides and Ms Chantelle Kleynhans, were selected by the University and were based at the company's headquarters. This highlights the unique nature of a KTP in that the associates worked on site in North East England to transfer the knowledge from the University directly to the company.
The outcome
- Advice on reducing energy consumption by 23%, unlocking significant savings and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
- Improvements recommended included the design of the factory’s lighting system, the operational hours of the cooling equipment, and staff training.
- An innovative system for manufacturing high quality 'Free From' food products by switching to new ingredients and making ratio adjustments to other ingredients,
- Feedback from members of Coeliac UK (a group who are adversely affected by the consumption of gluten) on sensorial and nutritional properties of the products, and quality of the packaging.
- Successful audit by the Association of European Coeliac Societies (AOECS)
- Full accreditation for coeliac supply to Europe.
In terms of sustainability, we have improved energy efficiency and reduced food processing waste in the production process. In terms of innovations, we worked on improving nutritional properties of the existing gluten-free products by lowering sugar and fats levels and increasing dietary fibre.
We have also developed new 鈥楩ree From鈥� products using novel ingredients that were intended for the UK and EU markets. There has since been an 80% increase in business, and turnover has doubled since the beginning of the project. NFF鈥檚 work with 明星八卦 enhanced the business outputs significantly.
Dr Valentina Stojeska speaking about the success of the KTP project
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Case study last modified 04/07/2022