Use of active waste extracts, mild technologies and fermantation to improve quality of fresh and processed foods

Sustainable diets are dietary patterns promoting health and wellbeing, with low environmental pressure and impact, accessible, affordable, safe and equitable, and culturally acceptable. In this scenario:

• the growing demand for reducing food waste is leading to the application of novel and integrated strategies to valorize food by-products, which include the application of biotechnological and mild-technology based processes;
• the selection of proper microbial starter and the use of enzymes are useful tools for improving nutritional and functional properties of plants and raw materials as well as for the in situ bio-fortification of food and beverages;
• abiotic stress in plants can increase their content of bioactive compounds;
• during high temperature steps as cooking or baking, a huge set of volatile compounds are produced including substances not healthy for human consumption as acrylamide or hydroxymethylfurfural; mineral loss in pasta is generally recorded after cooking.

Based on this evidence, the design of (bio)technological processes will be applied within ONFOODS framework to increase the nutritional quality, safety, and sustainability of agri-food products.

Following a biorefinery approach and sustainable extraction protocols, bioactive extracts will be recovered from agri-food waste to be used as preservative agents or healthy compounds (e.g. antioxidants) in the processing of whole or fresh-cut fruit and vegetables, edible oils and cereal-based products addressing the challenges of circularity and sustainability.

Enzymes, plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB), and microbial starters will be applied for a) the valorization of by-products of the malting industry; b) to reduce anti-nutritional factors; c) to increase digestibility, bioaccessibility and functional properties of rice, legume and whole grain flours; d) to produce antimicrobial compounds, and functional metabolites (vitamins and exopolysaccharides) in different foods (bakery products, pasta, yogurt-like, cheese analogues) and beverages. 

The innovative ingredients obtained will be characterized and included in cereal-based products, bakery products, pasta, yogurt-like, cheese analogues also in combination with alternative matrices (e.g., pseudocereals, legumes, insect powders). The quality-enhanced products will be evaluated.

The potential of sprouts, postharvest and postslaughter abiotic stress, as well as non-thermal or mild treatments will be tested to improve nutraceutical profile of fresh, ready to eat and ready to cook products (sprouts of Mediterranean species, fruits and vegetables, meat-based foods).

New generation of Metal Oxides (MOX) gas sensors will be set up to monitor and detect volatile markers of overcooking processes and Fe, Zn and Se in biofortified semolina (Task 4.1.1).

The following results are expected:

• Set up of a green extraction protocol of phenolic compounds from waste biomasses;
• Characterization of the phenolic profile of the extracts obtained;
• almost one extract endowed with biological activity to be applied in postharvest conditions;
• fruits/vegetables (whole and/or fresh-cut) and edible oil improved in antioxidant activity and/or shelf-life;
• selection of at least 3 different functional PGPB consortia that stimulate in rice the production of antioxidant molecules;
• selection of at least one microbial candidate/enzyme for the treatment of vegetable protein sources, malting industry by-product and milk;
• optimized biotechnological protocol for the fermentation of leguminous and/or cereals or pseudo-cereals flours;
• chemical, nutritional, safety and shelf-life characterization of the fermented products;
• cereal-based products, plant protein-based cheese analogues and enriched beverage and dairy products will be produced by the inclusion of the innovative ingredient/starter (in substitution to the conventional ones) with improved nutritional characteristics (e.g. increased fiber and protein contents, improved antioxidant activity);
• the tuning of the treatments’ parameters should lead to optimized protocols capable to improve the nutraceutical profile and/or shelf-life of sprouts of plants of the Mediterranean environment, fruits, vegetables and meats produced as ready to eat or to cook foods;
• a sensor array will be assembled in order to prototype a new technology based on the application of MOX gas sensor and AI algorithms to assess the correct cooking process of target products;
• protocols for the development of new pasta fortified in Fe, Zn and Se.