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Food & Bio-Industry Training » About us » Our technological platforms

Our technological platforms

Welience Food and Bio-industry works with different structures:

  • The Food Pilot Plants
  • The Biotechnology Development Platform
  • Associated laboratories


The Food Pilot Plant

Welience own structure, the Food Pilot Plant is equipped with pilot scale industrial equipments. The Pilot Plant opened in December 1987 and is located on the campus of the University of Burgundy, behind AgroSupDijon (ex ENSBANA). It is currently being extended to double its surface.

In the texturization area :

  • 3 twin-screw extruders cookers (flow rate from 5 to 150 kg/h),
  • 2 single-screw extruders cookers (flow rate from 100 to 200 kg/h),
  • continuous mixing-cooker (flow rate from 50 to 300 kg/h),
  • extruder (gear pump) (flow rate from 100 to 150 kg/h),
  • mixer-cutters,
  • batch cooker-mixer,
  • cold co-extruder,
  • dry or humid cooking chamber,
  • 2 continuous high pressure systems,
  • 1 batch high pressure chamber,
  • high pressure homogenization...

In the decontamination area :

  • high pressure systems,
  • continuous microwave system,
  • pulsed light system,
  • scraped surface exchanger,
  • infrared pasteurization system,
  • High Temperature Fluidization equipment...

Different devices to complete these equipments :

  • temperature and humidity controlled chambers,
  • vacuum drying systems, pasteurization/sterilization, freezing...
  • mixers, coaters,
  • vacuum or modified atmosphere packaging systems...


The Biotechnology Development Platform

Associated structure, the Biotechnology Development Platform is located at the National Agronomic Research Institute in Dijon and has bio-industrial activities (fermentation, cell culture...).

  • a room with pre-pilot fermentors (5 instrumented reactors for liquide state culture, 3 reactors for solid-state culture);
  • a platform with fermentation pilot equipments:
    • liquid-state: 2 automated reactors (35 and 300 L),
    • solid-state: non sterile processes (four 50 L automated reactors and one 1.6 m3 reactor) or sterile processes (patented 50 L reactor);
  • specific fermentors for cell cultures (hollow fibers, cytogenerator);
  • controlled atmosphere room, light overpressure;
  • post-fermentation treatment systems (filtration, centrifugation...);
  • analyses laboratories (HPLC, spectrophotometer, electrophoresis...).

Associated laboratories

In order to meet the demands of its customers, Welience Food and Bio-industry often includes a scientific approach to fundamental phenomena involved.

This approach is allowed by the permanent resourcing of Welience staff with associated laboratories (mainly in the University of Burgundy, Nationale Agronomic Research Institute...).

Most of these laboratories are located within AgroSupDijon (new food engineering school, ex ENSBANA), located behing Welience Food Pilot Plant.

The laboratories with which a specific relationship has been created over the years are:

  • The Food and Microbiological Process Engineering Laboratory (GPMA, Prof. P. Gervais) of University of Burgundy/AgroSupDijon. The research theme focuses on the study of mechanisms of resistance and response of microorganisms to physical and physicochemical disturbance of the environment.
    With its expertise in both process engineering and industrial microbiology, this laboratory is a strong point for Welience Food and Bio-industry, as it provides theoretical skills including: process engineering, modeling, action of shear and high pressures on food macromolecules (starch, protein), liquid texturization (emulsification), impact of different stresses on the viability of microorganisms and resistance mechanisms (spores), drying of cells (microorganisms, animal and plant cells...), enzyme engineering, genetic engineering, technological and contaminating flora, production of active molecules, flavors through biotechnology ....
  • The Water - Active molecules - Macromolecules - Activities Laboratory (EMMA, Prof. P. Cayot) of University of Burgundy/AgroSupDijon has for general themes: water and the changing quality of food products, wine and health products with physicochemical and sensory approaches. The lab brings skills to Welience Food and Bio-industry in understanding the phenomena involved in the texture of foods and their impact on the functional and organoleptic qualities: product characterization (structure, physical phenomena of mobility), physico-chemical, mechanical and sensory (texture) properties of food (cereal-based products from bakin or from thermomechanical treatments, milk gels, emulsions), changes in functional and rheological properties of milk proteins induced by heat treatment, transfer of small molecules (water, flavorings...) between different compartments of a composite food, and limitation by edible films, evaluation of sensory properties...
  • The Flavor, Vision and Consumer Behavior Mixed Research Unit (FLAVIC, Dr. E. Guichard) who performs work on the organoleptic quality of food products and food preferences: research focused towards the consumer (nutrition considerations, food choice, health, olfaction, vision and sensory aspects).
    Within this laboratory, the collaboration with the research team of Food Toxicology (Prof. MC. Chagnon) is a key point in the development of the activities of Welience Food and Bio-industry. Indeed, both parties are willing to develop technology transfer in the field of toxicology and in particular packaging/product interactions.