Desmet Ballestra

Improvement of existing processes

We keep up with the evolving requirements of processors and governmental regulatory agencies in order to ensure that our existing process technology responds to changes in the economic, technical and environmental needs of our customers.

Examples of Innovation by Desmet

Our technical steering committees ranging from process experts in each business lines are dedicated to solving problems. 

We listen, study and execute through analytical methodology survey and experiences.

We believe R&D is an investment and not a cost. Below are some examples of innovation by Desmet from Preparation, Extraction, Refining process, Fat modification and Oleochemicals.

New applications

We have used our experience in oilseeds processing to develop new applications for other feedstocks, such as the extraction of pigments, alkaloids, hops, tannins, and many other materials.

• Lanoline refining
• Lignite dewaxing - Removal of waxes from peat with toluol extraction
• Acetate cellulose washing for the textile industry
• Oleoresins extraction - Extraction of pigments used as natural colorants in the food industry
• Tannin extraction for the food industry
• Hops extraction for the food industry
• Cocoa butter stripping - Decreasing the acidity without altering the crystallising properties of the cocoa butter in the chocolate industry
• Epoxidised soya stripping for the paint industry
• Butter oil fractionation for CBR-CBE-CBS
• Fish oil detoxication Removal of dioxine from marine oils to below 3 ppt
• Tocopherol stripping - Producing Vitamin E for the nutraceutical industry

Teamwork & Means

Our specialised group of scientists, engineers and technicians is able to use the knowledge and experience of over 200 professionals within the Desmet Group as a whole, in both the edible and non-edible oils and fats industry.

Our Oils & Fats R&D team uses the industry’s most comprehensive set of resources:

• A skilled professional staff of scientists, engineers and technicians, with many years of practical experience in the oils and fats processing industry.
• Fully equipped analytical and research laboratories
• Flexible pilot units, of which several are skid-mounted and available on lease terms to a customer for testing at his own facility.
• Collaboration agreements with several Universities, mainly in Europe, Asia and in the USA.

Custom Research & Development

Desmet's Research & Development Team works together with clients on the basis of strict confidentiality to help them with their new ideas, from initial laboratory development through to pilot-scale tests.

Our Group has developed many close collaborations ties with many customers worldwide especially in the field of product development. This concerns multinational key accounts as well as medium size local companies.

A good example is to be found in the field of fractionation whereby our R&D team is providing extensive support to newcomers based on our long experience in terms of product formulations, SFC curves, and cooling curves. For some more advanced customers, substantial training sessions take place for applications in the area of specialty fats.

Back-up Services

• Analytical training
• Product formulation
• Quality control
• Yield control
• Process simulations