Current Trends and Future Developments on (Bio-) Membranes: Engineering with Membranes discusses various aspects of membrane engineering. This includes, but is not limited to, the role of membranes in food production, treatment and recovery, their applications in electrochemical processes and devices, in drug delivery and in ionic materials, such as salts, acids and bases, recovery. In addition, this book approaches the above topics in a different angle than the existing publications, i.e., reviews technical difficulties, environmental challenges and economic analysis. Membranes are one of the technologies which can affect various aspects of engineering dealing with feeds and products. Membranes demonstrate selective purifying properties, hence, membranes can help in the removal of various pollutants onsite and without the need of adding extra units and apparatuses. Besides that, membranes help reactions shift forward and make the whole process more efficient.

Engineering Aspects of Membrane Separation and Application in Food Processing presents an overview and introduction to a wide range of membrane processes, their unique characteristics and challenges. In the food industry, as in many industries, membranes have an environmental advantage over conventional processes that they displace, because they are less energy intensive. The processing at near-ambient conditions also retains flavors and nutritional value. These advantages, together with significant reductions in the cost of membrane modules, augers well for their future not only in the dairy industry but in other parts of the food industry, such as alcohol processing, animal product processing, and fruit and vegetable processing. Chapters address a wide range of membranes separations in the food and beverage industries, and applications are provided that will be of value not only to food engineers but also to process engineers working in other areas. The processing of food is now a highly interdisciplinary science, and anyone concerned with food processing will benefit from reading this book and understanding what membrane processes of the twenty-first century have to offer.