Sino-Italian Workshop on the Application of Membrane Technology in Food Processing Industry

Weihai, July 4-7, 2005

The Sino-Italian Workshop on the Application of Membrane Technology in Food Processing Industry has been held at the Golden Bay Hotel in Weihai from 4^th to 7^th July 2005. The Workshop, organised in collaboration with the Weihai Science & Technology Exchange Center with Foreign Country of Shandong Province Government, falls within the scientific and technological activities promoted by the Italian Embassy in Beijing.

The aim of the Workshop, sponsored by the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Shandong S&T Department and the Italian National Research Council, was to promote the application of innovative processes based on the Membrane Technology in the field of the Food Processing Industry.

The Italian delegation was represented by experts coming from both Academic and Research Institutions and Industries operating in the field of the Membrane Science and Technology with applications to the Food sector. The lectures presented during the Workshop gave a complete picture of the actual status of the membrane technologies and of their perspectives of innovation, research and development for agro-food, dairy and wine industries. The organization of the Seminar follows a series of previous collaborations between the ITM-CNR and Chinese Research Institutes in progress from different years.

The Italian experts which attended to the Workshop are reported in the following: Prof. Enrico Drioli (Director of the Institute on Membrane Technology, ITM-CNR), Dr. Lidietta Giorno, Dr. Alfredo Cassano (Researchers at the ITM-CNR, Rende, Cosenza), Dr. Efrem Curcio (Researcher at Department of Chemical Engineering of the University of Calabria, Rende, Cosenza), Dr. Francesco Garrafa (Azienda Mediterranea, Montalto Uffugo, Cosenza), Dr. Pasquale Punzo, Dr. Gabriella Savini (Artes Ingegneria SpA, Salerno), Prof. Carlo Gostoli (Department of Minerary Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technologies, University of Bologna, Bologna) and Dr. Pedrag Kaljevic (SIPA SpA Plastic Packaging Systems, Vittorio Veneto, Treviso).

About 100 industrial researchers and technicians, interested to the development of the membrane operations and to research projects in the agro-food sector, attended to the Workshop for the Chinese part.

The Opening Ceremony of the Workshop was inaugurated by Mr. Yao Weike, Vice Director of International Cooperation Section of Ministry of S&T, Ms. Zhai Luning, Vice Director of Shandong S&T Department, Prof. Enrico Drioli and Mr. Song Yuanfang, Mayor of Weihai.

Report on a special topic were presented during the Workshop.

Dr. Wang Wei, General Secretary of Chinese Food Industry Association, gave a lecture on the present condition and prospect of Membrane Technology in Chinese Food Industry while the application and development of Italian Membrane Technology was described in the lecture held by Prof. Drioli.

Dr. Guo Youzhi, from Chinese Membrane Industry Association, showed a study on water reuse development strategy by adopting the Membrane Separation Technolgy. Dr. Lidietta Giorno, Dr. Alfredo Cassano and Dr. Efrem Curcio showed experimental results obtained on laboratory scale concerning the application of different membrane operations (membrane bioreactors, integrated membrane operations and membrane contactors) in the food and beverage productions.

Dr. Wang Shimin, vice director of Shandong Food Industry Association, gave a lecture on the membrane technology in production and processing industry of Shandong province.

Dr. Pasquale Punzo and Dr. Gabriella Savini showed some industrial experiences concerning the application and development of membrane bioreactors and the elimination of heavy metals in waste waters using the membrane technology.

Dr. Liu Zhaoming gave a lecture on the application of membranes in beer production.

Experimental results concerning the application of membrane contactors in juice and wine processing were presented by Prof. Carlo Gostoli. A lecture on the membrane technology in the dairy industry was held by Dr. Francesco Garrafa while the Italian expert Dr. Pedrag Kaljevic showed some industrial applications concerning the plastic container barrier enhancement for the beverage and food industry.

Within the Workshop formal agreements were subscribed between the Italian and Chinese sides on special topics of interest.

The Italian delegation wish to thank the Chinese part for its very kind hospitality and assistance during the course of the Workshop.

Thanks are also due to the Italian Embassy in Beijing and particularly to the Office of the Scientific Attaché, Prof. R. Coisson, for the sponsoring and supporting this interesting event.

Prof. Enrico Drioli, ITM-CNR