Unit could drive food and drink industry sustainability

A new winery, brewery and food processing teaching and research facility will serve as a model for what the industries can achieve in environmental and energy efficiency, claims University of California (UC) Davis.

The university said that the 34,000-square-foot building housing the winery, brewing and food science units will be completed in 2010 and the proposed environmental design reflects the university’s effort to provide leadership in sustainable winemaking, brewing and food processing.

“Water conservation, energy efficiency and waste reduction are issues that food and beverage processors confront constantly in their quest to be competitive operations,” said James Seiber, chair of UC Davis’ Department of Food Science and Technology.

“The new facility will showcase environmental and sustainable technologies that others can evaluate and put into practice in their own operations.”

He said that the new winery and laboratory are being constructed entirely with private funds.