Location: Healthy Processed Foods Research
Project Number: 2030-30600-005-005-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 1, 2025
End Date: Aug 31, 2026
Objective:
The objective of this cooperative project is to enhance the functional and nutritional properties of proteins for improved use as food ingredients through systematic fermentation.
Approach:
The Cooperator will conduct systematic fermentations of extracted functional proteins, which will first undergo sterilization to ensure controlled fermentation conditions, followed by the design of fermentation processes and evaluation of key independent variables; subsequently, the Cooperator will collaborate with ARS scientists to characterize and assess the fermented proteins for enhanced nutritional quality and improved functional properties, systematically comparing the outcomes to baseline data from unfermented proteins, thereby providing essential insights into the application of fermentation techniques for enhancing the value of proteins as nutritious and functional food ingredients.