Funded under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), Mission 4 Component 2 Investment 1.3, Theme 10.
Funded under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), Mission 4 Component 2 Investment 1.3, Theme 10.
Smart drying of fruit and vegetables
Coordinator
Innovation of food (bio)processing using smart and mild technologies and fermentation to improve nutritional quality while ensuring safety and environmental sustainability throughout the shelf life of foods. Nutritional quality and biodiversity are targeted through both advanced and sustainable processes (including encapsulation) to preserve and improve at-risk (micro)nutrient composition of relevant food categories and exploiting microbiological and biotechnological applications to impact on nutritional quality. Such (bio)technological approaches (e.g., fermentation, enzyme treatments, etc.) are validated by process markers also directed to ensure food production safety and quality targeting new food habits (e.g., ready to eat food and novel food consumption) and sustainability, promoting production efficiency and utilisation of alternative sources (in connection with Spoke 2 and 3).
Development or improvement of at least 3 technological approaches to innovate food production (including cooking and shelf life) in terms of nutritional quality, safety, and sustainability (M24)
Development or improvement of at least 3 biotechnological approaches to innovate food production in terms of nutritional quality, safety, and sustainability (M30)
Sustainable development for agro-food systems as per the EU 2030 Agenda can be translated to continuity of high quality, stable products with minimal environmental impact and effective socio-economic growth. As prime contributors to food security and overall emissions, commercially ubiquitous agro-food processes like drying need to be re-evaluated for resource and efficiency. With their heavy reliance on fossil-based convection dryers, operator’s experience, and conventional offline product analyses, drying systems are being detrimental to the environment (energy wastage) and quality of food (product failure, i.e., under/over-drying). In this context, SMART-DRY proposes an innovative and proactive “one-stop shop” solution based on a realistic model-based assessment of the product-process space through the implementation of a Smart Monitor and Control System (SMCS) into a convective dryer for fruit and vegetables.
The SMCS will integrate Process Analytical Technology (PAT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, in combination with Quality-by-Design (QbD) strategies to improve the drying process by using a paradigm shift towards realistic model-based assessment of the product-process space. The project will be developed following the steps herein described:
1. Development of application-specific PAT tools to be integrated into a “Smart dryer”.
2. Development of a dynamic SMCS that can be periodically improved by a continuous machine (deep) learning loop.
3. Development of high-quality dried selected foods preserving and improving quality, nutritional and sensorial values, as well as technological functionality.
4. Reduction of the environmental impact of the Smart drying of fruit and vegetables (e.g., energy, raw material, waste, etc.) compared to conventional drying.
5. Development of an online database management system (DBMS) directly connected to the smart drying unit.
This project will positively impact and ensure higher product-process efficiency and sustainability in food drying within the ambitious scope of Sustainable Development Goals #12 (SDG12), Conference of the Parties 26 (COP26), EU green deal and Industry 4.0/5.0.
With this study, we expect to obtain the results reported below.
1) PAT tools are fully integrated into the smart drier (M15).
2) Validated machine (deep) learning models (M32).
3) Populated DBMS with off-/in-line data and models acquired during the drying tests (M36).
4) Fully functional smart drying system for selected fruit and vegetables (M36).
