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Quality-assuring cleaning in food processing requires substantial resources and a high level of precision. In a pilot trial, we tested our mobile Exo-MCD cleaning robot under real-world conditions. Our goal was to automate recurring cleaning tasks, help a meat-processing company address skilled labor shortages, and reduce water consumption sustainably. Currently, employees clean conveyor belts, tubs, and racks primarily mostly by hand. Water and cleaning agents are often used without precise dosing, and heating the water consumes significant energy. The Exo-MCD autonomously navigates to predefined areas and independently performs preprogrammed cleaning routines.

Compared with the manual reference cleaning, which took 58 minutes and used 960 liters of water, the robot reduced water consumption to 475 liters. While the Exo-MCD is operating, cleaning staff can focus on other equipment or areas of cleaning that require specialized handling. Although the robot takes slightly longer to complete the cleaning cycle, it reduces water consumption by approximately 50%.

This field trial demonstrates that automated cleaning can significantly reduce cleaning personnel's workload while delivering substantial savings in water and energy. We would be pleased to assess how robotic cleaning could be implemented in your production environment. Contact us for a consultation tailored to your application or visit our live demonstration at Future Clean 2026 in Dresden, Germany, from November 4 to 5, 2026.

Since August 12, 2026, the PPWR has introduced binding limits for PFAS in food contact materials for the first time. For many companies, this raises an important question: How can we ensure compliance with these limits while also providing reliable evidence? Developing suitable testing strategies is often challenging and requires in-depth analytical expertise. Three key aspects must be successfully addressed: the wide variety of possible PFAS compounds, complex sample matrices, and appropriate sample preparation.

With over 20 years of experience in PFAS analysis, we support companies in meeting these challenges. In addition to PFAS analysis in accordance with PPWR requirements, we use targeted surface analysis methods to identify potential surface fluorination. We also offer analytical solutions for relevant heavy metals. Together with our customers, we develop customized analytical concepts that consider both regulatory requirements and product-specific conditions. This provides reliable results, efficient testing strategies, and a solid basis for conformity assessment.

Would you like to learn more? Our expert, Dr. Johannes Bott, will provide insights into the topic »Guidelines for PFAS Compliance under the PPWR (Regulation (EU) 2025/40)« at the »Future Days: Compliance of Food Packaging« event on October 20 and 21, 2026, at Fraunhofer IVV in Freising. The event will be held in German. Register now for this joint IVLV event and discuss the latest regulatory developments with our experts.

For food packaging, the increase in recycled content required by the PPWR is particularly challenging, as there must be no direct contact between the packaged product and the recycled material to ensure product protection.

The two-component injection molding process offers a promising solution: Virgin material and recycled material are processed in an integrated injection molding process, with the recycled material remaining in the core and being completely enclosed by a layer of virgin material. An AI-supported assistance system developed by us at Fraunhofer IVV addresses the central challenge of the process: matching the melt flow behavior between virgin and recycled materials. Precise process control is essential for the defined placement of the core material and to prevent unwanted breakthroughs. Pressure sensors integrated into the mold monitor melt flow behavior inline and detect viscosity differences between the materials.

The interactive assistance tool helps select optimal parameter combinations and visualizes changes in real time. This enables stable process settings and a reduction in setup time of up to 50%. Would you like to know if this solution is right for your challenges? Please feel free to contact us!

How can fossil-based binders be replaced without compromising product performance? Fraunhofer IVV is addressing this challenge by developing sustainable solutions for paint and coating manufacturers. We identify suitable bio-based raw materials and tailor them to the requirements of your specific applications.

In the "BioCoMa" project, for example, we are modifying rapeseed proteins to develop an outdoor coating that combines UV stability, water resistance and mechanical durability with a high bio-based content. For us sustainability matters not only in the formulation but also in the manufacturing process. Manufacturers can continue using their existing equipment without costly modifications.

Are you interested in integrating bio-based binders into your formulations? Get in touch with us. Together, we will develop the right solution for your paints, coatings, and technical surfaces.

Our dissolution recycling process produces post-consumer recycled materials for plastics used in sensitive food-contact applications. In the European “INCREACE” project, we demonstrated that high-quality purified recyclates can be used in demanding applications by combining material quality, purity, and application safety. We are continuing this work in the newly launched international project “InFACT” where we are establishing an economically viable circular economy infrastructure with 15 partners. All stakeholders in the value chain are involved to ensure that flexible plastic packaging from household waste can be collected, sorted, recycled, and processed into new packaging.

In the “INCREACE” project, we successfully demonstrated the use of recycled materials in food contact applications in collaboration with Vorwerk. For this purpose, the team of experts scanned various used food contact materials. Analyses of unintentionally introduced substances (NIAS) revealed the high level of cleaning required for further use of the material in direct food contact. We carried out the dissolution recycling in a challenge test using used and shredded Thermomix® steam cooking attachments, where we demonstrated for the first time a purification efficiency of over 99.9%, even for large molecules weighing up to over 800 daltons. This highly effective cleaning process reduced concentrations of relevant substances to such a low level that the material is suitable for use in the lid of a Thermomix® steam cooking attachment. Even at concentrations below analytical detection limits, our team provides a reliable basis for decision-making: Using migration models, we simulate potential substance migration and were able to confirm compliance with Vorwerk’s stringent material requirements.

Would you like to produce high-quality recycled materials and safely incorporate them into your products? Contact us, and we will guide you through the process.

How can companies back up cosmetic claims with solid science, successfully integrate sustainable ingredients, and make confident development decisions? In a three-part interview series with EURO COSMETICS, our experts share insights into innovative solutions for today's cosmetics industry.

How can today’s challenges in hygienic production be translated into effective solutions for FMGC industries? The Future Clean 2026 expert forum addresses this question by presenting the latest technological developments and practical approaches for hygiene-sensitive production environments.

The event will take place on November 4–5, 2026, at the INNSiDE by Meliá Hotel in Dresden, Germany. It will offer a comprehensive program covering key topics such as adaptive cleaning and robotics, simulation and digital twins, and advanced technologies for hygiene-critical areas and surface sterilization. The program demonstrates how cleaning processes can be made more efficient, sustainable, and reliable by showcasing innovative cleaning concepts such as plasma-activated water, gel-based cleaning, and air-water pulse technologies as well as digital solutions such as in-line monitoring and simulation-based optimization. The program also highlights current developments in microbiological safety, including strategies to control biofilms and new sterilization methods. There is a strong focus on professional exchange. You will have the opportunity to discuss current challenges, share perspectives, and develop solution-oriented ideas in dialogue with other experts from industry and research.

The forum is part of the established event series Future Clean and is jointly organized by Fraunhofer IVV and IVLV e.V. Due to growing international interest, this is the first year that the event will be held in English.

Shaping the future of cleaning? Join us!

Whether enjoyed daily or as a special indulgence, cheese is characterized by its distinctive aroma, texture, and familiar mouthfeel. For companies developing plant-based cheese alternatives, this creates a complex challenge. They must balance sensory and technological requirements with consumers’ emotional expectations. This is where our experts at Fraunhofer IVV develop technological solutions for healthier alternatives that deliver both sensory appeal and nutritional value.

Taste is the key factor, especially aroma. It determines whether consumers perceive a cheese alternative as enjoyable. To achieve the typical cheese flavor in plant-based alternatives, manufacturers typically add cheese flavorings. The “KäromaVeg” project addresses this challenge. The team led by Daniel Kolesnik and Prof. Dr. Jessica Freiherr combines traditional fermentation processes with protein data analysis and advanced process engineering. This approach allows them to identify suitable raw materials that develop a cheese-like aroma through fermentation.

Would you like to enhance the aroma, texture, or process control of your plant-based foods? Our team provides comprehensive support, from raw material selection to technological implementation. Get in touch with us to explore how we can support your next product development project.

Products undergo dynamic changes in their aroma or odor compositions during development, processing and storage. Understanding these changes is essential to ensure product quality, yet traditional analytical approaches are often too slow to track them as they occur. We develop bespoke analytical solutions to characterize dynamic processes in real-time based on the analysis of volatile markers in food, packaging, consumer goods and beyond.

With the aid of direct-injection methods, molecular changes can be detected in a product directly during its processing, avoiding time-consuming sample preparation and discontinuous analysis and providing key insights to inform decisions. This approach offers several benefits for product development, including monitoring and adapting processing steps, identifying early-stage quality impairments and avoiding undesirable, costly outputs. Chemical data thereby represents a reliable metric to aid decision-making – from molecule to market.

Application in the sectors of food and beverage, packaging, pet food and appliance development exemplify how this data-driven approach can support efficient and resource-conserving product developments for market success.

Our service approaches and latest developments in direct-injection analysis will be showcased at the international DIFFA26 symposium from 14-16 October 2026 at which leading research institutions, companies and technology platform providers will gather at Fraunhofer IVV in Freising. If you are a specialist or executive in the areas of product development, quality assurance and process optimization, be sure not to miss this event.

In the Gabriela collaborative project, we succeeded in recycling complex plastics from electric vehicles in such a way that they find their way back into automobiles. The joint project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK) as part of the Lightweight Construction Technology Transfer Programme (TTP LB) and is supervised by Project Management Jülich.

Plastics from components containing up to 50% glass fiber pose a significant challenge for recycling. Nevertheless, two recycling approaches make it possible to recycle the plastics and close the material loop. We demonstrated this with the Pentatonic high-voltage battery housing from automotive supplier Kautex Textron. The recovered recyclates are even suitable for reuse in a direct loop as highly reinforced plastics in battery housings for electric vehicles.

Our dissolution-based recycling plays a special role in this process. The process enables the production of a high-purity plastic recyclate that can be seamlessly reintegrated into industrial production. In this way, we also close demanding material cycles in the automotive sector in a sustainable and cost-efficient manner. With a view to a functioning circular economy and the requirements of the European End-of-Life Vehicles Directive, this is becoming increasingly important, especially for the automotive industry. You can learn more about this in the article “Successfully Returning Plastics to Automobiles – Closed-Loop Recyclates for Electric Vehicles”, which appeared in issue 3/2026 of the journal Plastics Insights.

High-purity, recyclable materials can also be successfully recovered from plastic waste in the packaging, electronics, construction, and textile industries. Contact us – we’ll support you with our extensive experience in plastics recycling. Learn more about our solvent-based recycling!