New technology could help solve a critical waste problem and unlock a new market for Australian manufacturers.
The technology attracted Tom Debney to the Vortair, but it’s the ‘wow’ moments that continue to drive him.
The seasoned food technologist and Business Development Manager believes the team at Vortair has unlocked technology that could not only change how waste is dealt with, but also convert it to added value products.
And he’s not alone. The Vortair technology was recently awarded the Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology (AIFST) Peter Seale Innovation Award for 2024 in recognition of its potential.
“The technology, and the potential of what can be done with something you would normally throw out, brought me to Vortair,” Tom says.
“The ability to convert waste into something useful is fantastic and Vortair gives the opportunity to put a waste product back into circulation.”
The Vortair machine is a new technology for particle size reduction. It uses vortexes to disrupt materials, so they mill upon themselves, resulting in a more rounded particle.
One of the major advantages of the technology is the ability to control the micron size of materials and maintain temperatures at a level where there’s no nutritional losses – especially important if you’re dealing with organics or food products. And it’s here that the Vortair shows promise to help combat a critical waste problem.
The problem
Australians waste about 7.6 million tonnes of food annually, according to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. There are losses at every point along the food supply and consumption chain, including on farms during processing and transport, hospitality operators, supermarkets, and households.
The Vortair system has been trialled on many horticultural inputs, converting them to a paste, dry flour, or powder suitable as an ingredient in soups, sauces, stocks, and other products.
Tom says work has been completed on apple and pear pomace (the pulpy residue remaining after juice has been extracted from the fruit) as well as grapemarc (the skins, pulp, seeds, and stems of grapes that remain after pressing).
Apple pomace milled to a powder can be used in alternative protein products, with the fibre acting as a key binder. Grapemarc has a high polyphenol content, which makes it attractive for use in therapeutic goods. And milling rejected allium such as onion and garlic could open opportunities to use waste garlic and onion as a replacement for imported powders.
There is even interest in milling mussel and oyster shells. Milling would not only reduce the shell waste which would normally be landfilled, but it would also produce a new product with high calcium content.
“There are so many things we could do with this technology. It’s offering a solution for a whole range of problem wastes,” Tom says. “But there’s no point in doing something unless there’s an end market that’s worth chasing.
“In the case of fruits and vegetables, it has the potential to open new markets for manufacturers. Once you take the juice off the product, you’ve still got high value material. But there are also significant advantages if this technology reduces the waste that farmers would normally throw back onto their paddocks.”
Tom has extensive experience in developing strategy, management, and process control in businesses across Australia and overseas.
He is involved in mentoring several startups within the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) On program – a program that accelerates Australia’s most promising research breakthroughs from mind to market – and has a passion for developing processes that have an impact on improving the use of resources.
With a keen understanding of chemistry, physics, micro-biology and cost analysis, Tom was asked to look at the Vortair several years ago. He says he quickly recognised its capabilities.
“This technology is going to solve a lot of people’s problems,” he says. “Reducing waste is critically important but if we can convert what was once waste into something you get a return on, it’s well worthwhile doing.
“There’s a whole lot of material that doesn’t get off farm because it’s the wrong size, or color, that can now be upscaled and put into other products rapidly. In theory, that brings more farm return, but also reduces a dependance on a lot of imported dried powders. We’d be able to make them here and keep it economic. I think it will make some business in Australia more viable on a global scale.”
The Vortair machines are manufactured in Australia and assembled in Bayswater, Victoria, with fabrication taking place across the state in Shepparton, Melbourne, and Dandenong. The Food Grade Vortair 500 uses food grade stainless-steel 316 with a single piece titanium rotor for milling food grade materials, while the standard Vortair 500 machine is made from high tensile steel with tungsten carbide blades for increased wear resistance milling hard and tough materials.
Now at a commercial stage, the first machine has been sold for processing pomace waste into a powder. Having a machine in action has sparked a rush of new inquiries from global and local fast moving consumer goods companies.
Vortair aims to establish a food safe facility with several machines operational to assist with further trials. It is also considering manufacturing a smaller, mobile machine to mill in situ for farmers or producers.
Until then, Tom continues to liaise with potential customers, working through how to feed the mills, food safety concerns and nutritional content for a variety of feedstocks. While Vortair is not aiming to provide all those services, he says it’s important to understand the potential challenges and limitations to help companies move forward.
And it’s not just food waste solutions being sought. The Vortair can mill plastic wrap or poly lined bag waste back to a flake or finer powder that has potential to be reused in the manufacture of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) products.
“I’m constantly surprised by the amazing results we’re getting with the things we can mill,” Tom says.
“It’s left me scratching my head and wondering about the possibilities. I continue to get wows when we’re doing trials. I think this machine has incredible possibilities to change what and how people deal with waste.”
The Vortair will be at Waste Expo Australia, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, 23-24 October.
For more information, visit: www.vortair.com.au