The increased demand for food production to nourish the rapidly growing human population raises serious sustainability issues for the food sector. Indeed, conventional food production lines involve processes having a significant environmental burden. Hence, the present study aims to demonstrate an environmentally sustainable process of food production. The milk protein was chosen as a model food ingredient due to its exceptional role in the human diet. The proposed innovative process of milk protein production includes bipolar membrane electrodialysis coupled with ultrafiltration (EDBM-UF). The crucial problem during the EDBM-UF of milk, such as different types of membrane fouling, was successfully solved. Moreover, the life cycle assessment of the novel EDBM-UF protein production process was carried out and compared to a conventional acid/base process. Additionally, a sensitivity test of electricity supply at different geographical locations of the world was performed since electricity is the main energy source for the EDBM-UF process and it could be derived from different sources (renewable and non-renewable). The assessment results demonstrate that the proposed electromembrane process has significant environmental benefits compared to the conventional process using chemicals independently from the electricity supply mix from all considered geographical locations. Thus, EDBM-UF could become a prospective industrial technology taking into account environmental concerns and promoting the development of healthy human society.

中文翻译：

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通过更具环境可持续性的过程生产牛奶蛋白：双极膜电渗析与超滤结合

对粮食生产的需求不断增长，以养育迅速增长的人口，这给粮食部门带来了严重的可持续性问题。实际上，常规食品生产线涉及具有重大环境负担的过程。因此，本研究旨在证明食品生产的环境可持续发展过程。牛奶蛋白因其在人类饮食中的特殊作用而被选为模型食品成分。拟议的牛奶蛋白生产创新工艺包括双极膜电渗析和超滤（EDBM-UF）。成功解决了牛奶EDBM-UF期间的关键问题，例如不同类型的膜污染。而且，进行了新型EDBM-UF蛋白生产过程的生命周期评估，并将其与常规酸/碱过程进行了比较。此外，由于电力是EDBM-UF工艺的主要能源，并且可以来自不同的来源（可再生和不可再生），因此对全球不同地理位置的电力供应进行了敏感性测试。评估结果表明，与使用化学药品的常规工艺相比，所提出的电膜工艺与传统工艺相比具有显着的环境效益，而化学工艺独立于所有考虑地理位置的电力供应组合。因此，考虑到环境问题并促进健康的人类社会发展，EDBM-UF可以成为一种潜在的工业技术。由于电力是EDBM-UF工艺的主要能源，并且可以来自不同的来源（可再生和不可再生），因此对全球不同地理位置的电力供应进行了敏感性测试。评估结果表明，与使用化学药品的常规工艺相比，所提出的电膜工艺与传统工艺相比具有显着的环境效益，而化学工艺独立于所有考虑地理位置的电力供应组合。因此，考虑到环境问题并促进健康的人类社会发展，EDBM-UF可以成为一种潜在的工业技术。由于电力是EDBM-UF工艺的主要能源，并且可以来自不同的来源（可再生和不可再生），因此对全球不同地理位置的电力供应进行了敏感性测试。评估结果表明，与使用化学药品的常规工艺相比，所提出的电膜工艺与传统工艺相比具有显着的环境效益，而化学工艺独立于所有考虑地理位置的电力供应组合。因此，考虑到环境问题并促进健康的人类社会发展，EDBM-UF可以成为一种潜在的工业技术。