Reverse osmosis in food processing

Although reverse osmosis (RO) is recognized as a leading technology in desalination processes, it is also a well-established application in food processing due to its several advantages over conventional methodologies such as the preservation of thermal-sensitive compounds, low energy consumption, and low investment costs. This chapter focuses on the main applications of RO in food processing, including the concentration of fruit and vegetable juices, preconcentration of milk and whey, improvement of must quality, and wine dealcoholization. The contribution of RO to the recovery of biologically active compounds from agrofood wastewaters, according to the new industrial ecology and biorefinery concepts, is also presented and discussed. In this area, the combination of RO with other membrane filtration systems well contributes in redesigning the traditional processing of food and beverages within the logic of the process intensification strategy, with remarkable benefits in terms of product quality, plant compactness, environmental impact, and energetic aspects. These aspects are addressed and discussed in detail according to the latest literature inputs.