Choose from 6 different ACTIVASORB® filter sheets and carry out filtration tests on a laboratory scale. Achieve the results you need for seamless filtration process development with ease and simplicity. The ACTIVASORB Test-Kit contains:
We are pleased to present our latest sustainability report 2023, which outlines our commitment to responsible business practices and our efforts to minimize our impact on the environment.
This report provides a comprehensive overview of our sustainability efforts throughout the year, highlighting our progress, achievements, and ongoing commitment to environmental responsibility. We thank you for your interest in our sustainability management and hope this report will make for
interesting reading for you.
Find out more on our Sustainability Page ->
Last week marked again a milestone in FILTROX history as we unveiled our new production line at our facility in Tlalnepantla, Mexico! It was an honor to host guests from the U.S., Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, and Brazil, including esteemed officials, suppliers, partners, and distributors. His Excellency Piero Piffaretti, the Swiss Ambassador to Mexico, joined José Maria Padilla of the State of Mexico and Carmen Ugalde of Tlalnepantla City for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
A huge thank you to the organizing committee for their stellar preparation, and to the entire FILTROX Team in Mexico for their outstanding hospitality! This achievement is a testament to the power of teamwork.
of FILTROX Columbia de México, S.A. de C.V. – April 26, 2024
Extending the frying oil shelf life whilst maintaining product food safety and quality is one of the goals of food service operators. Filtering the frying oil regularly is by far the most important recommendation to achieve it.
Besides filtering, there are 2 other procedures restaurants follow to try to extend oil life, named frying oil cascading (rotation) or “cradle to grave”.
Frying Oil Cascading
is the procedure where the frying oil is transferred from one vat to another, until it is deemed unfit for use as per food service operator quality standard procedure or legislation.
“Cradle to Grave”
is the method of keeping the frying oil in the same vat that point is reached.
The oil degrades at different rates in the fryers vats when frying different types of food. When operators use cascading, oil is moved from a Vat with lower debris, lighter oil color (less “hostile” frying oil environment) to Vats with higher debris and darker oil color (more aggressive circumstances).
From experience, the frying oil life is maintained better when the “cradle to grave” operation is followed. There are some technical explanations that could support the preference for the “cradle to grave” approach.
By working with the cradle to grave practice, the frying oil is allowed to run its normal degradation course and be discarded when the end point frying oil quality parameter is reached, thus maintaining a longer fry-life.
Therefore, it is always a good practice to maintain cradle to grave approach in restaurant fryer operations to obtain longer oil fry-life and avoid product food safety and quality issues.
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The new filter media for selective removal of unwanted moldy and brett off-flavors. Unlock the true essence of your Red.
The quality of fried food is highly linked to the conditions of frying oil. Although there is not one specific worldwide regulation for frying oil quality, several countries have adopted guidelines or created regulations for the matter. Most of them are based on studies done regarding frying oil stability during cooking and possible deleterious effects in human health.
Nowadays, Total Polar Compounds (TPC) or Total Polar Materials (TPM) is the most common frying oil parameter. These are the most reliable to determine the oil quality, according to the German Society for Fats Science (DGF). The TPM value provides information on the quantitative proportion of polar and non-polar compounds in cooking oil. In Europe, determining the TPM value has become the standard reference protocol. For assessing the fats and oils quality in deep-frying conditions in foodservice, it is one of the best quality indicators. As a result, several countries have set the limits of 24 to 27% TPM for degraded frying oil. In countries such as the USA and Australia, where TPM is not a legal limit value, the parameter is becoming increasingly used by foodservice operators as an internal benchmark.
Some countries use acid value (AV) or free fatty acids (FFA) as quality standard. According to American Oil Chemists’ Society Official Methods and Recommended Practices, FFA is obtained dividing AV by the factor 1.99.
| Country | Parameter | Limit (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Austria | TPM | ≤ 27 |
| Belgium | TPM | ≤ 25 |
| Brazil | TPM | ≤ 25 |
| Chile | TPM | ≤ 25 |
| China | TPM | ≤ 27 |
| Costa Rica | TPM | ≤ 25 |
| Czech Republic | TPM | ≤ 25 |
| Finland | TPM | ≤ 25 |
| France | TPM | ≤ 25 |
| Germany | TPM | ≤ 24 |
| Hungary | TPM | ≤ 30 |
| India | TPM | ≤ 25 |
| Italy | TPM | ≤ 25 |
| Japan | Acid value | ≤ 3 |
| Panama | TPM | < 25 |
| Poland | TPM | ≤ 25 |
| Portugal | TPM | ≤ 25 |
| South Korea | Acid value | ≤ 3 |
| Spain | TPM | < 25 |
| Switzerland | TPM | ≤ 27 |
| Thailand | TPM | ≤ 25 |
| The Netherlands | TPM | ≤ 27 |
| Turkey | TPM | ≤ 25 |
Filtering the frying oil frequently and having a consistent procedure to discard it according to quality parameters is the best way to improve oil life and keep fried food quality.
If you want to learn more about this and other frying oil technical topics, please contact FILTROX.
GO TO THE FRYING OIL FILTRATION PAGE ⇒
STAY UPDATED ON OUR LINKED IN PAGE: 
We have been awarded a Bronze medal as a recognition of EcoVadis Rating. This is a significant achievement that reflects our commitment to sustainability and responsible business practices.
EcoVadis is a global sustainability rating platform that evaluates companies on a range of environmental, social, and ethical criteria. Their comprehensive assessment process looks at our policies, practices, and performance across a variety of areas, including environmental impact, labor and human rights, and business ethics.
We are proud to present our first sustainability report, which outlines our commitment to responsible business practices and our efforts to minimize our impact on the environment.
A large part of the work consisted of creating the measurable basis for a sustainable future in which facts and figures were collected and analyzed. Then we have initiated and implemented a number of activities and measures.
We believe that transparency and accountability are essential to achieving our sustainability goals, and we are committed to reporting on our progress regularly. We will continue to work towards reducing our environmental impact and promoting social responsibility, and we look forward to sharing our progress with our stakeholders in future reports.
Find out more on our Sustainability Page ->
Finding the right depth filter is not easy and often time-consuming. The FILTROX Scale-up Test Kit supports you in finding the best depth filter solution for your application in a simple and efficient way, whether depth filtration or alluvial filtration.
With the included material, you can start with 20 mL experiments and scale-up the results to your desired batch size.
Frying oil degradation is a very complex process. It involves several chemical and physical reactions between the frying medium and the product. During frying, physical changes occur, such as heat being transferred from the heating elements to the frying oil and consequently from the oil to the food. Heat causes water in the food to evaporate and reacts with the frying medium.
In addition, there are several chemical reactions occurring among food, frying medium and air. These interactions, influenced by the frying oil, food types as well as frying conditions and oxygen availability are interrelated and produce a complex mixture of substances. The chemical reactions frying oil undergoes are oxidation, hydrolysis and polymerization.
The oxidation is the interactions of the frying oil with oxygen, either coming from air or from the product. Oxidation by-products are hydroperoxides, ketones, dimers, among others. These compounds evolve to other volatile and non-volatile components, like alcohols and aldehydes.
Hydrolysis is the chemical reaction between water and the frying oil, producing, among other components, free fatty acids. Free fatty acids can increase the hydrolysis process by interactions with steam released by the product during the frying process.
Polymerization results in the formation of very large molecules (high molecular weight) in the frying oil. Polymers increase frying oil viscosity and cause foaming. In extreme cases it forms a yellow lacquer on the frying heating elements and vat wall. It impairs a bitter taste and higher frying oil absorption in the fried product.
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Oxidation, hydrolysis and polymerization by-products are considered polar substances, which can be measured as total polar materials or components (TPM or TPC). TPM/TPC is the best parameter to evaluate frying oil quality in Foodservice.
Please read more about Frying Oil Degradation in our Article “Restaurant Frying Oil Quality Parameters”.
If you want to learn more about this and other frying oil technical topics, please contact FILTROX.
GO TO THE FRYING OIL FILTRATION PAGE ⇒
STAY UPDATED ON OUR LINKED IN PAGE:
Frying is a popular method of cooking because it is quick, easy and usually results in delicious food.
During the frying process cooking oil is being exposed to heat and all kinds of contaminants (breading, batter, crumbs, marinades, ice particles from frozen food etc.) reducing its lifetime. To extend frying oil service life filtration is the most important step. It helps to control consistency of food and keeps operational costs down.
Surface filtration / Passive filtration removes particulate from the oil through sieving. This is the method commonly referred to simply as “filtration”. Examples of passive systems are filter paper, bag filters and steel screens (mechanical removal of solids). This is anything from 2 mm to 4 mm screens down to typically 50 microns. These systems remove only the insoluble particulates of certain sizes.
Depth filters consist of a relatively thick layer of porous materials containing irregular and tortuous channels. Particles are entrapped within this matrix. Depth filters have greater porosity than passive filters and are not “blinded” (reducing or shutting off pores, thereby shutting off flow through the filter) as easily as passive filters. The increased depth of the filter media allows multiple stages of filtration.
These filters include active materials such as adsorbent powders and activated carbon. Besides the before described surface and depth filtration. Filters with active powders (e. g. filter pads) remove and reduce metallic ions, soaps, color, odor, off flavors and even finer particulates suspended in the oil. The removal of these contaminants, help to extend the service-life of frying oil.
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The combination of depth and active filtration are the most efficient frying oil filtration media. They combine a fine filtration with treatment of the oil and do not only remove small particles, but also suspended contaminants. The combination of depth filtration and treatment results in the highest frying oil service-life and costs savings.
For successful frying-oil-management, it is important to filter regularly. Filter frying oil twice a day should be the minimum to succeed in slowing down the oil-degradation process.
If you want to learn more about this and other frying oil technical topics, please contact FILTROX or find out more on our frying oil filtration page
GO TO THE FRYING OIL FILTRATION PAGE
Frying oil is widely used in the food service.
Monitoring and managing Frying Oil is important to guarantee consistent high food quality. Furthermore, Frying Oil has an impact on the operation costs, especially since the prices of Frying Oil have increased significantly.
The set-point temperature preferably lies within a range of 160 – 175 °C (320 °F – 347 °F). Higher temperatures do not mean shorter cooking times but lead to an acceleration of frying oil deterioration (and acrylamide formation within starch containing foods).
The temperature control should be examined regularly using an external thermometer for accuracy and the temperatures should be documented in the context of a HACCP concept.
Do not overfill fry baskets, to avoid a strong temperature decrease during the start of the frying process. Modern fryer with electronic or computer control have an appropriate temperature control system which reacts fast on any temperature changes. Fryer with mechanical temperature controls may cause substantial temperature differences which can lead to a faster fat degradation.
Especially salt promotes the migration of water from the inside to the surface of the food and the formation of toxic substances. Never add salt or spices over the VAT before or after the food has been cooked.
Before inserting breaded foods, e. g., nuggets, chicken-fingers, schnitzel, loose crumbs should be shaken from the foods. Small parts char easily in the fryer and accelerate frying oil degradation. Especially when food is freshly breaded this is very important!
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Do not load fry baskets over the fryer. Ice crystals and crumbs will accelerate the oil degradation process.
Maintain fryer vat free of floating debris by skimming the oil periodically. Burnt food pieces will speed up frying oil degradation.
Covering of the fryer not in use: to protect the fat against oxygen, light, dust and other contaminants, the VAT must be covered. This prevents additional deterioration of Frying Oil by oxidation and photooxidation.
Frequent filtering is the single most important thing you can do to extend the life of your frying oil. Regular filtration (min. twice a day) ensures frying oil contaminants removal which speed up oil degradation. If fresh breaded products are fried a higher frying oil filtration frequency is strongly recommended!
Increasingly, built-in filtration systems are used which clean frying oil. Active and passive filter cannot regenerate the deep-frying medium but help to slow down the frying oil degradation and extend its service-life.
After the oil degradation point has been reached (see our article “Frying Oil Quality Parameters”). Fryer is to be emptied and cleaned. Fat must be removed to avoid oxidation. Gummed deposits on the heating tubes reduce the heat transfer and should be removed. Any fat rests will promote faster fat deterioration of fresh frying oil and quality losses when the deep-frying is operating again. Important: thoroughly rinse the VAT after cleaning to ensure remaining soaps to be flushed out of the fryer.
If you want to learn more about this and other frying oil technical topics, please contact FILTROX or find out more on our frying oil filtration page
Sitter Projekt AG, a joint venture of Mettler2Invest AG and FILTROX Immobilien AG, takes over all properties of the FILTROX site at Moosmühlestrasse 6/8 in St. Gallen. The transfer of ownership was officially completed on 19 December 2022. Mettler2Invest and FILTROX will cooperate in the development of the site. The common goal is to develop the commercial space that will become available from 2025 and the land reservers into a diverse production and innovation location over the next few years. All existing leases on the site will be taken over by the new company. Read the entire media release …
On November 10, 2022, the grand opening ceremony of the new premises of FILTROX Southern Europe took place. Together with long-standing partners, customers and distributors, the event were celebrated with various presentations, visits and a social get-together.
Simon Sauter completes management buy-out
We are pleased to inform you that the management buy-out process of Schmid Automation AG, which has started five years ago, has now been completed. Simon Sauter takes over the entire business, including its subsidiaries Schmid Automation GmbH, Augsburg and Schmid Schaltanlagen AG, St. Gallen, retroactively per 1st of November 2022. Simon Sauter has been Managing Director of Schmid Automation since 2017 and already held a minority stake in the company. Until now, the remaining shares belonged to FILTROX Holding AG. In the future, FILTROX wants to focus entirely on its core business, which is depth filtration of valuable liquids.
“Simon Sauter is the ideal owner for Schmid Automation AG. As an experienced engineer and
long-standing managing director, he is perfectly prepared to lead the company successfully
into the future”, Dr. Cristian Rusch, CEO of FILTROX, is quoted. Simon Sauter adds: “It gives
me great pleasure to further develop the topics of digitalization for the benefit of our
customers with our highly motivated team”. …
Frying is a traditional method for food preparation in the food service industry around the world. As frying process is carried on, frying oil degrades. The quality of the products from deep-fat frying depends not only on the product itself and the frying conditions, but also on the frying oil quality.
Not measuring frying oil quality frequently and regularly may cause operators to discard it prematurely or uses it beyond its quality limit point. That will cause money loss either by frying oil wastage or poor quality of the fried product.
Throughout the food service industry, there are several methods to determine frying oil quality discard point. Below are some common parameters used.
It is a test based on the appearance of the frying oil to determine its discard point. In some cases, it is done by defining a visual point inside the frying vat where it can be seen through the frying oil. It can be either the heating components, the vat bottom, frying basket base or a metal rod with a disk on its base. If it is still possible to see it, the oil quality will be acceptable.
Another option is the color test kit. It consists of one small tube in between two color rods, one light color and the other one darker. Frying oil sample is poured in the center tube and compared with the 2 rods. Once the oil sample drawn matches the darker rod, it is time to discard the oil. It is a low-cost method, but one that is prone to operator interpretation.
The test is based on human sensory perception. If smoke is coming out of the frying oil, it is beyond discard point. In extreme cases, there is a risk of the oil catching fire.
Oil rancidity and volatile compounds can be detected via smell, which may mean that the oil is beyond proper discard point. The method is quite inaccurate and can lead to discarding frying oil too late.
The test measures free fatty acids (FFA), which is a frying oil quality parameter in some countries. It can be performed via test strips or with handheld devices. With test strips, they are dipped in the frying oil and then withdrawn. Frying oil FFA value is read comparing test strip against a color guide. The disadvantage of this method is the difficulty in interpretations and accuracy, the need to keep the strips under refrigeration and the cost per test. Handheld devices measure FFA based on dielectric constant calculation and are more accurate than test strips.
Also known as total polar components (TPC) and is considered the chemical index of frying oil deterioration by measuring cumulative degradation products. The level of polar components is a good indicator of frying oil quality. Most countries around the world have legislation or recommendation regarding maximum percentage levels of polar components in frying oil. TPM values can be measured with handheld devices quickly and safely. Modern fryers already have a built in TPM measurement system.
If you want to learn more about the frying oil quality parameters and the test methods or other frying oil technical topics, please contact FILTROX.
Fried foods are popular all over the word. The frying oil or fat plays a very important role in the food service industry and has a direct impact on the food quality as well as in other aspects of the operation. This is about the about frying oils characteristics.
The Frying medium can be categorized as fat or oil. While oils are typically liquid at room temperature, fats retain a solidconsistency at room temperature, like lard or tallow and some palm.
Choosing the right oil
There are many oils and fats available for frying in the market. The selection of frying media should be based on the optimization of the cooking process, with regards to nutritional facts, flavor profile, stability as well as costs involved.
From a health point of view, the frying oil or fat of choice should be rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (linoleic and
linolenic acids). Unfortunately, oils and fats with that characteristic are too unstable for the harsh frying process. Also, oils with linolenic value higher than 3 % should be avoided as they may leave a fishy flavor within the food and the deep-frying medium.
To best fit nutritional and stability requirements, the fat and oil industry have been developing products that are low in saturated, linoleic and linolenic fatty acids and having at the same time higher amounts of the monounsaturated oleic acids. The downside of these oils are the higher price and lower availability when compared to regular products. To overcome it, edible oil manufactures have developed blends of different oils to balance cost, performance, availability and nutritional facts.
Below are the main types of oil and fats used in commercial frying.
Canola oil
Also known as rapeseed oil with light yellow color. It is high in unsaturated fatty acids, so it needs to be modified to to achieve the stability required for commercial frying. The rapeseed oil has an oleic acid content and is suitable for frying. However, the price can be a bit high.
Corn oil
An amber colored oil with certain desirable unique flavors. It is relatively low in saturated fatty acids and rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids. For this reason, it may be less stable for the frying process.
Cottonseed oil
It is considered the first commercially available vegetable oil in the Americas. It delivers a nutty, buttery flavor to fried products. Cottonseed oil contains practically no linolenic acids, is rich in saturated fatty acids and is therefore very stable for frying. It is used as blending to improve less stable oils.
Palm fat and oil
It can be either in the solid state (stearin) or liquid (olein). Palm fat and oil has a nutty flavor and is high in saturated fatty acids, so more suitable for commercial frying, although lower in nutritional due to the saturated content. Due to known environmental issues in cultivation and manufacturing, it is not endorsed everywhere in the world.
Peanut oil
Peanut oil is a pale yellow oil with a unique mild flavor. It is high on monounsaturated fatty acids and quite stable for the frying process. Peanut oil cost is higher than most other oils.
Soybean oil
It is the most commonly used edible oil in the world and one of the most inexpensive. Soybean oil has a high linolenic acid content. Therefore, it is more unstable in the frying process and may leave a fishy taste on the fried food. An alternative is soybean oil with a high oleic acid content, but this comes at a higher price.
Sunflower oil
It is pale yellow colored and with a light taste, suppling more vitamin E Sunflower oil is pale yellow in color, has a delicate flavor and provides more vitamin E than any other vegetable oil. The oil is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids and therefore less stable for the frying process. An alternative here is an expensive sunflower oil with a high oleic acid content.
Blended oils
This type of oils consists of a wide range of oils blended to give a particular characteristic to the product, such as frying stability, nutritional profile and cost. They may include cottonseed, corn, rapeseed, among others.
Pork lard and beef tallow
They are semi-solid fats at room temperature and give fried food a particular flavor profile. They used to be widely available but have fallen out of favor in recent years due to their high saturated fat content. It is a fairly stable frying medium. They are sometimes marketed as a blend with vegetable oils and fats, particularly palm oil.
The decision which frying oil is used is based on the nutritional facts, flavor profile, stability, availability as well as costs. If you want to learn more about frying oils characteristics and other frying oil technical topics, please contact FILTROX.
On its recent meeting, the Board of Directors of FILTROX has approved a proposal to enlarge the plant of FILTROX Columbia de México SA de CV in Tlalnepantla, Mexico. A new production line for depth filter media will approximately double the capacity of the existing plant. It is scheduled to be operational by the end of 2023. This investment comes in addition to the recently announced expansion of the FILTROX plant in Barnoldswick, UK.
Read the entire press release
