Location: Healthy Processed Foods Research
Project Number: 2030-30600-004-000-D
Project Type: In-House Appropriated
Start Date: Jul 1, 2025
End Date: Jun 30, 2030
Objective:
Objective 1: Extraction of food components from underutilized crops and waste for value-added applications.
Sub-objective 1.A: Extraction and characterization of food components from Brewer's Spent Grain (BSG) and Breadfruit.
Sub-objective 1.B: Development of novel snacks incorporating extracted BSG/breadfruit components.
Sub-objective 1.C: Characterize BSG-extracted proteins and protein hydrolysates from multiple BSG varieties and assess the efficacy of the hydrolysates as a medium for cultivated meat and a potential substitute/supplement for FBS.
Objective 2: Sensor-based food quality assessment and defect mitigation.
Sub-objective 2.A: Detect pits and pit fragments in fresh cherries and prunes using novel detection technologies.
Sub-objective 2.B: Investigate NIRS as a potential tool to assess quality of pecans and hazelnuts.
Approach:
Sub-objective 1.A: Components including protein, fiber, and starch will be extracted and characterized from two different stock materials: BSG (an agricultural waste byproduct) and breadfruit (an underutilized crop) to assess their viability as supplements and ingredients for other foods. Components will be extracted roughly following standard techniques: starch by washing and filtering, dietary fiber by enzymatic treatment, and protein by isoelectric precipitation.
Sub-objective 1.B: Various formulations of breadfruit and cereal flour will be the basic ingredients for dough for snacks, including gluten-free variations. The extracted food components (i.e., starch, dietary fiber, and protein) from the breadfruit varieties and the BSG will be incorporated into this food model to enhance dough nutrition while maintaining sensory quality. Quality attributes, including chemical composition, physical properties, texture, and aroma of the snacks produced will be evaluated, seeking mixtures that optimize both nutrition and sensory quality.
Sub-objective 1.C: Protein will be extracted and hydrolyzed from multiple BSG varieties. Functional and structural characteristics of the extracted protein hydrolysates will be measured, the hydrolysate’s ability to support cell line growth will be assessed, and correlations between the two investigated to determine which structural and functional characteristics are relevant to the efficacy of using the hydrolysates as a culture media for cultivated meat. The efficacy of extracted BSG protein hydrolysates to support cell line growth and thus be a viable media for cultivated meat will be assessed.
Sub-objective 2.A: Online sensor technology will be used for real-time non-destructive food quality assessment, including novel differential phase contrast X-ray sensors (DPC), traditional X-ray imaging, thermal imaging, and NIR spectroscopy. Pits and pit fragments in red tart cherries and prunes will be evaluated for the feasibility of real-time non-destructive detection. Standard statistical techniques i.e. chemometrics and image analysis, will be employed on their own, and by combining data across image classes, to differentiate cherries and prunes with pits or pit fragments from those without. Custom image feature extraction methods will be developed to facilitate combining data from images with NIR spectral data. Human recognition trials will assess detection superiority over traditional imaging methods.
Sub-objective 2.B: Hazelnuts and pecans will be subjected to analysis of vitamin E, oxidation, acidity, and enzymatic activity. Measured values will be ranked on a linear scale as measures of lipid quality and therefore rancidity. NIR calibrations will be developed correlating Vitamin E content with the other variables, thus providing the means for non-destructive determination of rancidity.