GEA Barr-Rosin Opens up New Market for VWG Drying in China
In November 2011, Dr. Fan Zhang took on a new role at GEA Barr-Rosin as the dedicated market manager for China as part of the company’s sales focus on the region. Since that time, the company has been successful in securing a number of new orders in China, including several ring dryers for handling Vital Wheat Gluten (VWG), a protein co-product of wheat processing, with the dried product being a valuable food additive. This run of recent success in China started in in 2012 when GEA Barr-Rosin was awarded a contract for two sizable ring dryers that have been installed and successfully commissioned at one of China’s largest wheat processing facilities.
The project also marks the first time that wheat starch has been used in China as the raw material to produce citric acid. Previously, corn was the preferred raw material for citric acid production, but in China, corn is a highly controlled commodity with restrictions on its use. Corn is also classed as a food product making it more expensive than wheat, which is not. The result of this higher price of corn has seen an increase in the number of companies making a change over to wheat-usage as a raw material base for starch related products.
In 2013 GEA Barr-Rosin has recently secured another Chinese VWG project for a customer in North-East China. This addition brings the total number of GEA Barr-Rosin VWG ring dryers in China up to ten.
With GEA Barr-Rosin’s drive to succeed in China’s ever growing market, the UK-based Dr. Fan Zhang is looking forward to further building on this success. “GEA Barr-Rosin decided to re-focus on the Chinese VWG market from the end of 2011,” explained Dr. Fan. “Our success has come as a result of close teamwork between GEA companies and an increasing demand for larger VWG dryers. Our customers increasingly appreciate the high quality of our dryers and the features that provide a safer, more stable, more reliable and more energy efficient system than any competitive product available.”
GEA Barr-Rosin is a leading supplier of industrial drying systems, offering numerous technologies to dry wet materials, ranging from granules, cakes, sludges, powders and slurries. With thousands of references worldwide, GEA Barr-Rosin drives for excellence and maintains their leading position by continually focusing on product quality, system reliability, energy savings and emission control.
About GEA Barr-Rosin
GEA Barr-Rosin, a member of the Process Engineering Segment of GEA Group, is a leading supplier of industrial drying systems, offering numerous technologies to dry wet materials, ranging from granules, cakes, sludges, powders and slurries. With thousands of references worldwide, GEA Barr-Rosin drives for excellence and maintains their leading position by continually focusing on product quality, system reliability, energy savings and emission control. For further information visit www.barr-rosin.com.
About GEA Process Engineering
GEA Process Engineering develops, designs, and markets production plant equipment and processes for the dairy, brewery, food, pharmaceutical and chemical industries. With sales close to EUR 1.7 billion in 2012 and 5,500 employees working in more than 40 countries, GEA Process Engineering is recognized as a world leader within liquid processing, concentration, industrial drying, powder processing handling, emissions control, solid dosage forms & sterile products, and aseptic packaging. GEA Process Engineering is a business segment of GEA Group, headquartered in Germany. For further information visit www.geap.com.
About GEA Group
GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft is one of the largest suppliers for the food processing industry and a wide range of other process industries. As an international technology group, the Company focuses on process technology and components for sophisticated production processes. In 2012, GEA generated consolidated revenues in excess of EUR 5.7 billion, 70 percent of which came from the food and energy sectors, which are long-term growth industries. The group employed about 24,750 people worldwide as of June 30, 2013. GEA Group is a market and technology leader in its business areas. It is listed in Germany’s MDAX stock index (G1A, WKN 660 200) and the STOXX® Europe 600 Index. For further information visit www.gea.com.
About Wheat Gluten (source: http://www.iwga.net/what_is_wg.htm)
Wheat Gluten is the natural protein derived from wheat or wheat flour. In its freshly extracted wet form it is known as gum gluten which when dried yields a cream-to-tan-coloured, free-flowing powder of high protein content and bland taste. When re-hydrated, it regains its original characteristics. So unusual is the functionality of wheat gluten and so persistent is the structural integrity after cooking, it appears to have no functional competitor.
Applications
Wheat gluten is a wheat protein concentrate that is prepared by removing starch from wheat flour and carefully drying the remaining high protein gluten in such a manner as to retain the native properties of the wheat gluten. Wheat gluten provides exceptional functionality for many industries by imparting a variety of benefits. It can be used in a wide variety of applications including milling, bakery products, meats, pasta, etc.Â
Composition and Properties
Wheat Gluten, a natural food protein, is the water-insoluble complex protein fraction separated from wheat flours. The separation process is accomplished by physical means from aqueous flour suspensions without additives of any kind. Wheat gluten is marketed as a cream-colored, free-flowing powder. When rehydrated, it regains virtually all of its intrinsic functionality.
