INFORM April 2025

EDITOR’S LETTER

inform April 2025, Vol. 36 (4) • 5

See you in Portland!

A lot has changed in the past few months, which makes us even more grateful to have a yearly occasion that brings us face-to face, the AOCS Annual Meeting & Expo (https://annualmeeting.aocs.org). As always, the event is full of ample education and networking opportunities, as well as a long list of informative technical sessions. We cannot wait to see you at the Portland, Oregon Convention Center from April 27-30. In the meantime, enjoy the stories in this processing themed issue that showcase how industries are adopting new technology to achieve better efficiency and quality. Our cover story, Say cheese: Biotechnology and the quest for animal-free dairy , examines the cutting-edge advance ments in plant-based dairy alternatives. Biotech firms have achieved a major milestone—engineering soybeans to produce casein, an animal-derived protein crucial for cheese’s texture and taste. While they report industrial scale production, the processing, Revolutionize edible oil refining with microfluidic net works highlights how microfluidic technology—originally devel oped for medical devices—is now enhancing edible oil purification. By incorporating enzymes onto microfilament surfaces, research ers have demonstrated a novel approach to degumming, promising more efficient refining processes. We also take a closer look at refining methods with Mild distillation for optimal oil quality . This feature investigates how gentle refining techniques can minimize contaminants while maintaining oil stability. Combining mild refining with short path distillation appears to offer the best of both worlds, but as we discover, even the most sophisticated methods require high-quality raw materials for optimal results. “Biotech firms have achieved a major milestone— engineering soybeans to produce casein.” road to widespread adoption remains filled with challenges. In the realm of industrial

Finally, we examine the challenges of biodiesel produc tion in Enzymatic pretreatment process provides biodiesel feed stock flexibility . Traditional biodiesel production is limited by the presence of free fatty acids in feedstocks, but an enzy matic pretreatment process is proving to be a game-changer. By significantly reducing free fatty acid content, this innovation enhances feedstock flexibility and biodiesel yield, potentially reshaping the industry’s approach to fuel production.

Yours in science,