For developing the simulation-optimization ecodesign approach, the benefit of using computer-aided process engineering tools (process simulation tools) has long been recognized in the chemical and petroleum industries. However, few attempts have been made to use these tools to ecodesign food processes because of the complexity of food products and their intrinsic thermodynamic properties.

We developped a methodological framework that combines process simulation tool and multi-objective optimization with life-cycle and cost-cycle analysis tools embedded in a multiple-criteria decision-making support tool.

The framework developed was illustrated by the example of milk evaporation, which:

• is one of the most energy-intensive processes in the dairy industry,
• has huge potential for optimization.

The potential of this process flowsheeting–multicriteria decision-making framework is demonstrated :

• first through the analysis of three design solutions for an evaporator,
• second as a support for the strategic choice of a fuel for the purpose of on-site energy production.

The engineering of assembling several tools to address a complex problem is in itself a result of this work.

Framework to ecodesign food processes as developped in this study : a commercial process simulator was first adapted to modeling milk evaporators ; economic and environmental criteria were computed from inventories of both the production and cleaning phases, and multiobjective optimization with a genetic algorithm as well as multicriteria decision-making were applied either independently or in combination.

This work provides a pathway to ecodesigning food processes and building a digital platform to ecodesign food processes.

Collaboration: Laboratoire de Génie Chimique, Toulouse, France