At the upcoming Membrane Technology Forum, ZwitterCo's Jon Goodman, vice president of food processing and specialty, and Christopher Drover, chief technology officer, will present an educational session titled Lower Cost Treatment of Food, Dairy & Beverage Wastewater.

The session from Goodman and Drover will examine how increasing treatment costs, water stress and evolving regulatory requirements are driving investment in wastewater treatment across food and dairy operations. As water quality standards become more stringent, processors are evaluating a wider range of technologies to meet both compliance and operational goals.

The presentation will address how membrane technologies are being applied to treat plant wastewater and effluent streams, particularly as companies look to balance performance with overall treatment economics. In many cases, this includes evaluating membrane materials and total treatment costs.

A key focus of the session will be membrane fouling, including the specific challenges associated with food and dairy wastewater streams. The speakers will outline how membrane materials influence fouling behavior and system performance, as well as practical considerations for evaluating total cost of treatment.

The session will also include case studies from sugar refining, dairy processing and distillery operations to illustrate how anti-fouling membrane technologies are being used in different applications. These examples will highlight operational considerations and potential cost implications associated with implementing advanced anti-fouling membrane technologies.

Goodman notes that the session will explore the role of membrane materials in resisting fouling in food and dairy facilities and provide examples of the use of advanced membrane technology to improve plant operations and reduce total cost.

Drover says, “We will review some of the most common technologies being used today, variables to consider when selecting a wastewater treatment technology, and case studies involving anti-fouling membranes in different food and beverage industries.”

About Jon Goodman

Jon Goodman’s 37-year career in membranes reflects a passion for solving critical challenges. He leverages his expertise in sales, market management, and strategy development as he leads ZwitterCo’s Food Processing & Specialties business. Jon previously scaled commercial operations for TriSep / Mann+Hummel and FilmTec Membranes (then part of Dow Chemical). Jon is focused on accelerating growth and market adoption of ZwitterCo’s innovative membrane technology.

Courtesy of ZwitterCo

About Christopher Drover

Chris Drover leads the technology development and research programs at ZwitterCo. Previously, Drover was a senior member of the technical team at Oasys Water, where he spent six years scaling up and commercializing a novel membrane technology entering the industrial wastewater market.

Prior to Oasys Water, Drover served as a chemist in the materials science division of Doble Engineering Co., where he developed test methodology to identify contamination and defects in mineral oil, Kraft paper and plastic film electrical insulation products. His professional training includes agile project management, hazardous waste operations, leadership for technical professionals, and Lean Six Sigma. He holds a Master of Science in chemical engineering from Tufts University and a Bachelor of Arts in chemistry and physics from Ohio Wesleyan University.

Courtesy of ZwitterCo

About the Membrane Technology Forum

The annual Membrane Technology Forum, hosted by Dairy Foods magazine and the American Dairy Products Institute, is the premier live event in the commercial membrane and membrane technology sector. This event covers key concepts and innovations for the sector, from the fundamentals of membrane technology, fouling and cleaning, to emerging technologies and applications with real-world case studies that highlight challenges, proposed solutions and results. 

The Membrane Technology Forum serves processors, plant managers, engineers, chemists, equipment manufacturers, research and development, sales and marketing specialists, technicians and other industry professionals.

The program features a series of two dedicated educational tracks, each with short, informative technical sessions covering current topics and emerging trends. Attendees will gain fresh ideas, trusted data and proactive solutions to help their companies evolve with changing trends in membrane technology.

The Membrane Technology Forum also features a select group of innovative and forward-thinking suppliers on hand to demonstrate their new technologies and products designed to improve processing operations.

The 2026 Forum will take place June 15–17 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Bloomington – Minneapolis South in Minneapolis, Minn.

Learn more and register at dairyfoods.com/membrane-forum