Ultrafiltration process has been applied widely in
food processing industry for the last 20 years due to its
advantages over conventional separation processes such as
gentle product treatment, high selectivity, and lower energy
consumption. Ultrafiltration becomes an essential part in food
technology as a tool for separation and concentration. However,
membrane fouling compromises the benefits of ultrafiltration
as fouling significantly reduces the performance and
hence increases the cost of ultrafiltration. Recent advances in
this area show the various intensive studies carried out to
improve ultrafiltration, focusing on membrane fouling control
and cleaning of fouled membranes. Thus, this paper reviews
recent developments in ultrafiltration process, focusing on
fouling mechanisms of ultrafiltration membranes as well as
the latest techniques used to counter membrane fouling.