The Spiral Flash Dryer is designed precisely for this. It combines the speed of flash drying with the uniformity of fluidised bed drying. Hot air is forced upward through a static blade ring, creating an extremely turbulent spiral flow. Wet material is fed directly into this zone, where particles are instantly dispersed, lifted, and dried within seconds.

Unlike conventional dryers, the evaporation rate stays consistently high across the drying phase, which lowers the final product temperature and reduces heat demand. For delicate proteins, that translates directly into higher-quality ingredients with minimal thermal damage.

From pilot runs to industrial plants

Scaling from lab bench to industrial production is one of the hardest steps in protein innovation. Processes that work at pilot scale often fail at higher throughputs. Drying in particular can become a costly bottleneck.

At our pilot plant and R&D centre in Barcelona, Ingetecsa houses nearly all its drying technologies under one roof. Customers can simulate production processes, optimise parameters, and generate samples. For longer-term or larger-scale work, Ingetecsa also offers mobile pilot units housed in 40ft shipping containers, complete with automated logging systems. These travel worldwide, giving companies the ability to test products under realistic conditions before committing to full-scale plants.

Ingetecsa tackles this risk head-on. We conduct pilot runs with a customer’s product and are responsible for the scale-up. We do these tests in presence of the customer’s R&D teams so we can steer and correct the process if necessary. This means we can adjust temperatures and residence times to achieve the required result. This is a combined effort between our process specialists and the customer.

Obviously, seeing and being able to analyse the actual dried product is a major point for R&D at customers. It reduces risks to a minimum and they will be able to show their end product to their customers. After all, we provide the process guarantees for the results established in our lab.

The energy equation

Drying is among the most energy-hungry steps in food and feed production, and for alt proteins – where margins are tight and sustainability is under the microscope – every efficiency gain matters.

Thermal drying is one of the most energy-intensive steps in the industry. It pays off if you can first dewater mechanically as much as possible. As our dryer handles solid cakes well, moisture can be reduced to very low levels. Only then do you follow up with thermal drying to evaporate the rest. This results in a greatly reduced energy bill.

The Spiral Flash Dryer is built for efficiency. By keeping evaporation rates high throughout the process, it cuts overall heat demand. When heated by steam, energy savings of up to 25% have been demonstrated through condensate recovery.

And because the dryer is static – with no moving parts in the drying chamber – there are no dead zones where material can build up or burn. That improves hygiene, reduces cleaning, and maximises uptime. For food producers, this translates into lower operating costs and a lower total cost of ownership over the life of the equipment.

Beyond proteins: upcycling and nutraceuticals

While proteins are a fast-growing market, the Spiral Flash Dryer is also opening doors in other food segments. Waste streams from vegetables can be dried into powders rich in natural colours and nutrients, suitable for incorporation into soups, snacks, or baby foods.

We have references running on waste product from the vegetable industry. Many vegetables dry perfectly in our Spiral Flash Dryer once ground to small particle sizes. Low temperature drying keeps functionality intact and colours bright. The dried product has a long shelf life and is blended into foods – for example, carrot pulp rich in carotene and fibre to make products healthier. A waste product sold as food ensures a healthy margin.

The same principles apply to superfoods and nutraceuticals, where functionality and organoleptic quality are critical. With product temperatures not exceeding 45°C, despite the hot drying gas of 180°C, the Spiral Flash Dryer can compete with vacuum drying, preserving delicate bio-actives at lower cost.

For companies investing tens or hundreds of millions in new protein facilities, process guarantees are critical. Drying is too important to leave to chance. Our laboratory combined with our decades of experience enables Ingetecsa to offer process guarantees. We can show worldwide references that have gone through the same process. If we would ever get it wrong, we would correct the process until it runs as expected and guaranteed.

This approach reassures investors and accelerates adoption. Ingetecsa is not just providing equipment but taking responsibility for process outcomes.

Meeting demand across sectors

So, where is the strongest demand today? We see strong growth in proteins from fermentation and vegetable upcycling. We get inquiries for animal proteins, plant proteins and many others. It’s hard to say where the majority comes from as we only see a small portion of the market. That’s why we participate in exhibitions to get a better feel.

The reality is that proteins – from soy to precision fermentation to mycoproteins – all require drying. In parallel, demand for nutraceuticals, functional foods, and even specialty chemicals is rising. For Ingetecsa, the broad applicability of the Spiral Flash Dryer ensures relevance across multiple fast-moving markets.

Drying may not be glamorous, but it is indispensable. It is almost always needed in food and feed processes. It lengthens shelf-life, allows for blending with other products and it reduces transport cost. If drying can be done at lowest energy cost in combination with the right quality end product, this will certainly help these products to become interesting in the market and develop into mainstream products.

As alternative proteins push toward scale, the pressure to combine efficiency, quality, and safety will only increase. With its static, hygienic design, rapid drying mechanism, and proven energy savings, the Spiral Flash Dryer is poised to play a central role.

Ingetecsa’s message is clear: innovation in protein production is not only about biology, but also about engineering. As Bouwmeester puts it, If we can help companies achieve functionality, stability, and energy efficiency in one step, we are helping them cross one of the biggest hurdles to scaling alternative proteins.

What’s apparent is that the demand for efficient, gentle drying technologies is accelerating. Novel protein sources from fermentation, alternative crops, and upcycled side streams will become increasingly important. Ingetecsa is working not only as a technology provider but also as a partner bridging the gap from lab to factory. With decades of engineering experience and references from real-world applications, the company combines established know-how with ongoing innovation. Its in-house R&D and pilot facilities allow customers to test concepts at small scale before scaling with confidence. Through the Spiral Flash Dryer and related solutions, Ingetecsa contributes to building robust, scalable, and sustainable processes that can support the food industry of tomorrow.