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INOVALEITE GROUP
Inovaleite is an interinstitutional group formed by professors / researchers from UFV, UFJF, UNICAMP and UFSCar that work on milk, dairy science and technology . The group, which is registered with CNPq and has its trademark with the INPI, develops research, technology and industrial innovation, promoting knowledge sharing with the dairy industry. Inovaleite's activities have always been guided by public-private partnerships, and is completing 11 years of activities in 2019. Currently, Inovaleite promotes the integration of the Microbiological Resources Center (CRM), the Reference Center for Membrane Techniques (CRTM) ) and the Reference Center for Concentrated and Dehydrated Dairy Products (CRCD) installed at UFV, along with the UFJF Technological Chemistry Laboratory (QUIMTEC), and the Unicamp Research Group on Technological and Functional Properties of Food Proteins (PTFPA). The work developed together with these different specialized laboratories allows the development of research aiming at the Milk and Dairy Industry.
STRUCTURES THAT INTEGRATE THE INOVALEITE GROUP
INNOVALITE MANAGEMENT:
MISSION
To promote science and technology of milk and dairy products, developing and producing innovative and differentiated scientific knowledge applied in favor of the competitiveness of products / services provided to partners through the continuous improvement of processes.
VISION
Be the reference research group in technology for the industrial dairy sector in Latin America.
VALUES
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1Be a research group with ethical and citizenship awareness in the places where it operates;
2. Be reliable, agile and solid in meeting the needs of customers, delighting them by exceeding their expectations;
3. Develop commercial ties with suppliers and customers, aiming at long-term partnerships and flexibility in meeting demands;
4. Provide group members with a safe and motivating work environment by offering professional fulfillment;
5. Guarantee guided environmental quality throughthe concept of sustainable development by having a commitment to the following principles: management of environmental aspects and impacts in all activities, products and services; pollution prevention and control; continuous improvement of environmental performance; compliance with applicable legislation and standards;
6. Train and qualify students to work in industries, research and teaching centers, using the model of applying scientific knowledge to the experimental reality of the dairy industry.
HISTORICAL:
The Inovaleite group was registered in 2008 by Prof. Antônio Fernandes de Carvalho from UFV. Initially, the group was formed by professionals trained at the Cândido Tostes Dairy Institute, which were used to seeking solutions to the problems of the dairy industry. The members' international experience, whether it be during academic training, master's, doctorate and post-doctorate or just through technical trips to countries that also invest in science and technology, it all served as inspiration for the team's structuring. In the first phase of the project, STLO / INRA Rennes, France and APLTA / USC Dairy Products Class, Lugo, Spain were two important scientific collaborators. Then, the partnerships were expanded with STELA / INAF, Quebec, Canada and CDR / UW Madison, Wisconsin. Although, the reality of the companies served by these partner institutions may be different, the methodology used by them was standardized and applied in the activities developed by Inovaleite in serving Brazilian industries, having in the beginning the support from several national and international ingredients companies.
Inovaleite started designing its networked infrastructure based on the models of the Reference Centers by Prof. Antônio Fernandes. With the financial support of Fapemig / SECTES within the project of the Pole of Excellence for Milk and of CNPq, the first Reference Center in Membrane Techniques (CRTM) was structured under the supervision of Prof. Jean-Louis Maubois. At the time, a microfiltration system with 0.8 and 1.4 micron membranes was imported to remove the microbiota present in milk and a 0.1 micron membrane for the production of micellar casein and ideal serum. The partnerships with the industries started with training courses on the different membrane separation processes.
A second center created within the project and also coordinated by Prof. Antônio Fernandes was the Reference Center for Microbial Resources for the Food Industry (CRM). This unit maintains a collection of microbial cultures of industrial interest and conducts a study of indigenous biodiversity of milk and dairy products from different parts of Brazil. These works have attracted companies that seek / demand solutions for microbiological problems and the development of new products with innovative cultures.
The third center created was the Reference Center for Concentrated and Dehydrated Dairy Products (CRCD), under the coordination of Prof. Italo Tuler Perrone (figure 1). This center, developed in partnership with Dr. Pierre Schuck and with the support of CAPES, CNPq and FAPEMIG, has attracted a large number of companies that wish to optimize the drying of innovative and difficult-to-dry products.
Figure 1: Centro de Referência em Produtos Lácteos Concentrados e Desidratados (CRCD)
Over the years, several pieces of equipment were acquired in partnership with research institutions and private companies. In addition, other laboratories located in other federal institutions joined the group. The Technological Chemistry Laboratory (QUIMTEC) of the Chemistry Department at UFJF (figure 2), coordinated by Prof. Rodrigo Stephani and Prof. Luiz Fernando Cappa de Oliveira, is one of them. QUIMTEC is the only laboratory in Brazil in a public research institution that has a complete line of equipment for technological research on ultra-high temperature (UHT) associated with analytical equipment for material characterization. This structure allows the realization of advanced laboratory applications in the dairy area.
Figure 2: Laboratório de Química e Tecnologia (QUIMTEC)
Quimtec
Figure 2: Laboratório de Química e Tecnologia (QUIMTEC)
The area of applied science to milk proteins is studied, at Inovaleite, by the Laboratory of Technological and Functional Properties of Food Proteins (PTFPA) at UNICAMP. Coordinated by Prof. Guilherme Miranda Tavares, the group of researchers is formed by professionals specialized in the area that will come into being a mega market trend in no time.
Thus, the unique infrastructure and highly qualified networked labor allow the group to supply the demand for a knowledge transfer center that offers specialized services and develops new technologies and methodologies for laboratory analysis for the milk production chain.
First Inovaleite logo
Current logo
VI INOVALEITE ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM (2020):
1ST MEETING: UFV / Viçosa:
2ND MEETING: UNICAMP/Campinas:
3RD MEETING: UFJF & ILCT/Juiz de Fora:
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