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Encapsulation of plant extracts using the high pressure process PGSS (Particles from Gas Saturated Solutions) and CPF (Concentrated Powder Form)
Project
Project code: 2814ERA05B
Contract period: 20.10.2014
- 19.10.2017
Budget: 31,925 Euro
Purpose of research: Applied research
Following increasing trends for obesity and aging population over the past decades, the consumer demand for healthier food have increased radically. Thus, the market share for healthy food products is expanding and estimates of the global food market range from 25 to 60 billion EUR depending on sources.
Fruit and vegetable processing industry generates a number of by-products (eg. press cake/skins/seeds) that have several bioactive compounds which can be used as ingredients for the formulation of healthy foods. This has led to an increased interest in better utilization of high-value compounds from by-product that would otherwise be wasted. To improve sustainability of the food chain, it is important that the production of new healthy products with bioactive compounds from by-products is safe and done based on sustainable technologies. This project aims to develop innovative sustainable technologies throughout the food chain for manufacturing sustainable bioactive ingredients and healthy foods based on by-products from fruit and vegetable processing industry. The focus of the project will be by-products from processing of berries.
Berry products are very attractive and have also large potential for export. Ingredients (purees, pieces, powders, extracts, etc) are seen as important drivers for the berry market development. An explanation is that in processed forms, berries are made available for consumers in more convenient forms. The world market for only blueberry extracts, with 25% content of anthocyanins, amounts to about 200 tons, with a market value of approximately 100 million EUR[1]. Currently, all blueberry extract produced with methanol, ethanol, hexane and other hazardous organic solvents. These production methods consume large amounts of energy, it is harmful to the environment and staff, and results in a lower quality of the extract. In this project, supercritical fluids extraction (SFE) will be explored as it provides a promising alternative for the conventional extraction technologies[1]. In this project, by-products (press cake and seeds) from berries will be prepared and SFE will be done to produce extracts containing valuable functional oils and bioactive phenolic compounds. The extracts will be stabilized in powder form using innovative high pressure encapsulation technologies to maximize the functionality of the bioactive compounds, avoid tempered storage (refrigeration) and produce ingredients suitable for specific food applications. These ingredients will be used in novel healthy food products. To attain the sustainability approach low energy processing, osmotic drying and non-thermal emulsification, will be adapted. Focus will also lay on developing added value products that are stable at room temperature in order to reduce energy consumption during storage and avoid reduction in bioactive functionality. The project will deliver results relevant for both the industrial and scientific communities, (scientific deliverables (SD) and industrial deliverables (ID)).
The main stakeholders from different parts of the food chain are: 1. Food producers that use berries as raw material e.g. juice manufacturers. 2. Manufacturers of emulsion based products e.g. low-fat spread, soups, smoothies, dressings as well as body lotions. 3. Food producers that use dried fruits in their products e.g. snacks, breakfast cereals, yoghurt, ice cream.
The SFE technique does not require large investments or machinery and has potential of being used by SMEs, creating new business opportunities for developing new healthy ingredients/foods. The developed solutions can also be used on other agricultural by-products such as grapes, olive, artichokes and spent grains wastes.
To establish that the results reach the identified target groups workshops and seminars will be held throughout the project. Close collaboration with food federations e.g. SPES comprising 12 European Food and Drink Federations will be done to disseminate the results to industry. The consortium involves partners from Sweden, Germany and Poland thereby covering north, central and east Europe. The strength of the transnational consortium is that enables gathering of scientific expertise from different areas that cannot be found within one nation to solve a problem that is relevant for all Europe.
Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction is a fairly new technology in food processing offering large sustainability advantages for extraction of oils and bioactives [2]. So far, SFE has focused on decaffeination of green coffee beans, production of hops extracts, recovery of aromas and flavors from herbs, extraction and fractionation of edible oils, and removal of contaminants. The novelty of this project is that it will develop SFE to extract phenolic compound and seed oils from by-products. The Particles from Gas Saturated Solutions (PGSS) process and the Concentrated Powder Form (CPF) process have been used to encapsulate liquid aromas and antioxidants in a fat matrix and to produce powders of natural extracts of basil, pepper, lemon oil and a-Tocopherol [3-5]. An innovative approach using PGSS and CPF to stabilize phenolic compounds and bioactive oils will be applied for the first time to manufacture tailored ingredients for specific food applications (emulsions and dried fruits).
Keywords: SUSFOOD, Sustainable & Healthy
Section overview
Subjects
- Process engineering
