[PERSPECTIVE]
by Ricardo Simpson,
Taking a Broader Approach to Process Optimization
S
ophisticated mathematical
approaches to process
optimization, in which some
objective function is maximized
or minimized subject to
chosen constraints, are widely
published in the literature. We
suggest that such optimization
problems are often restricted to
an unnecessarily narrow domain
and that a broader perspective
may reap greater rewards.
Questions as to just what
should be maximized or
minimized, or what are the real
constraints as opposed to only
those that are immediately
apparent, are often posed
without a broad enough view
of the “big picture.” The
following are some examples.
• In the manufacture of
tomato juice concentrate, water
removal by evaporation can be a
very energy-intensive and costly
unit operation. The objective
in optimizing such a process
is normally to minimize energy
cost and consequently the cost
to manufacture. This is often
accomplished by finding the
optimum number of evaporator
effects by an economic balance
between the energy savings
obtained by multiple effects and
the added capital investment.
However, the relatively long
residence time as the product
flows through the multiple
stages in the evaporator can
contribute to product quality
degradation. Alternatively,
a process optimization
directed toward maximizing
product quality may produce
pg 180 06.07 • www.ift.org
a superior product that could
command a higher price
and competitive edge in the
marketplace, although at a
higher cost to manufacture.
• Maximizing quality
retention without compromising
microbial lethality has always
been important in the design
of optimum retort process
conditions.
Mathematical approaches
to this problem have been
applied to find the optimum
variable-temperature profile
Optimization problems are often ... unnecessarily narrow
[and] a broader perspective may reap greater rewards.
that would maximize thiamin
retention without compromising
lethality, but no more than 2–3%
improvement could be realized
over using an optimum constant-
temperature process. This
degree of improvement would be
imperceptible in the marketplace
and could not justify the com-
plexity of dynamic retort control.
However, consideration of
an alternative quality attribute
could make such modest
improvements extremely
valuable. For example, if the
water-holding capacity in
canned oyster and mussel meats
could be improved to increase
drained weight by just 1–2%,
annual profits to the company
could increase significantly
enough to justify adoption of an
optimum process alternative.
• Significant process
improvements can sometimes
Sergio Almonacid,
be realized by simply taking
a fresh look at an existing
process to identify unnecessary
constraints. For example,
during the Arab oil embargo in
the early 1970s, when energy
costs increased dramatically,
an engineer was hired by a food
company to review the process
for manufacturing a spray-dried
powdered formula that the
company had identified as its
most energy-intensive product.
The starting ingredient was
nonfat milk with 9% solids, to
which soluble carbohydrates
were added along with fats and
oils and emulsifiers to reach
a liquid formula mix with 20%
solids. This mix had to be pre-
concentrated by evaporation to
reach 55% solids prior to enter-
ing the spray dryer for maximum
spray drying efficiency.
In the standard procedure for
making the powdered formula,
the nonfat milk was supplied
as a spray-dried powder and
water was added to produce the
9% solids starting ingredient.
This same water was then
subsequently removed by evapo-
ration prior to spray drying.
The engineer discovered
that the nonfat dry milk
powder, along with all the other
ingredients, could be mixed
directly with just enough water
to reach the 55% solids feed
needed to go directly to the
and Art Teixeira
spray dryer, thus eliminating
any need for evaporation, with
appreciable energy cost savings.
A potential explanation
for our relative blindness to a
broader approach to optimiza-
tion is that we have often
used traditional engineering
approaches to understand and
analyze most food processes.
That is certainly a good start, but
it may be somewhat limited and
might have inhibited us from see-
ing more broadly. For example,
if we consider quality more
frequently as an intrinsic and
integral part of process design,
it will be possible to identify
several potential improvements.
In some cases, it is necessary to
start with an in-depth analysis
and synthesis of food processes
to answer basic questions like
how should the equipment be
interconnected, what are the
appropriate operating condi-
tions, or should there be recycle
streams or purge streams.
The background knowledge
and logic that we carry often
limit our vision to design
optimum food processes more
broadly. What one person
sees as process optimization
may not necessarily be
what others could see. FT
Ricardo Simpson (ricardo.simpson@usm.cl)
and Sergio Almonacid (sergio.almonacid@
usm.cl), Professional Member and Member,
respectively, of IFT, are Professors, Dept. of
Chemical, Biotechnological, and Environmental
Processes, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa
María, Valparaíso, Chile. Art Teixeira (atex@
ufl.edu), a Professional Member of IFT, is
Professor, Dept. of Agricultural and Biological
Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville.