Smart sensor and optimisation systems for future food biorefineries

Enzymatic protein hydrolysis (EPH) is a process used to upgrade residual raw materials from animal and marine food production. Addition of enzymes degrades the raw material into soluble proteins and peptides, a fat fraction, as well as mineral-rich sediments. Three companies have participated in this project, and an important goal for all of them is to be able to offer well-paid protein products for human consumption. A major challenge to achieve this goal is to satisfy the strict specifications of products in this market. Large raw material variation makes it very demanding to maintain even process yield and desired product qualities. To achieve this, tools for process control is needed, where the variation of incoming raw materials is measured and the process is adjusted to achieve desired product qualities. This type of control systems does not exist for EPH processes. The goal for SmartBio is therefore to further develop process management tools for hydrolysis processes, so that the EPH industry can take a decisive step further towards controlled and stable processes, less waste and more tailor-made products. Characterization of raw materials is an important step to establish a robust and optimal EPH process. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) is widely used today to measure fat, protein and water in foods. In the project, we have therefore built large calibrations based on raw materials from Bioco and Biomega, respectively. After achieving satisfactory laboratory results, the NIR system has been transported to Bioco / Biomega for further adaptations. Satisfactory calibrations were built for both fat, water and protein, and instrumentation could thus be used further to document actual raw material variation at Biomega and Bioco. In the project, we have also worked with Raman spectroscopy to be able to quantify collagen and ash in raw material streams from Bioco. In our study, we worked with poultry carcasses in the laboratory, but the results showed that this technique has the potential to be used in-line for estimating both ash and collagen in raw material streams. Today, the EPH industry has few opportunities to analyze product qualities at the factory. Nofima has previously worked extensively to develop a method based on Fourier-Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to estimate average molecular weights of protein hydrolysates. In the Smartbio project, we have, with the help of product sampling at Biomega and Bioco, shown for the first time that FTIR can be used to estimate average molecular weights of products from industrial EPH. We base this on analysis of over 400 protein hydrolysates with reference analyses. The results thus show that the FTIR method is sensitive enough to pick up product variation that naturally exists in industrial processes, which is an important step in the development of an industrial system for this type of analysis. We have also shown that the collagen content of the products, which is an important factor especially in EPH of poultry, can be determined using FTIR. In addition, we have shown that the FTIR spectrum itself can be used for increased process understanding and process optimization. An important part of the project has dealt with large-scale testing of technology and methods by the industry partners. To investigate possible connections between raw material composition, processing conditions and end-product in industrial production, the companies have made their process data available. This has been very challenging for the companies, both due to technical problems with exporting data from the companies' systems, and also since some important parameters are not logged. It is also very resource-intensive to sort, wash and structure process data, and synchronize them with product sampling and raw material analyses. Nevertheless, the results showed clear effects of given processing conditions on both yield and degree of hydrolysis. In addition to the specific findings, both the companies and the researchers have gained new knowledge about how process data can be exported and analyzed for similar analyses in future projects. For Biomega and Bioco, this is the first time that continuous monitoring of raw materials is linked with process parameters during hydrolysis, and frequent extraction and chemical analyses of the aqueous fraction after hydrolysis. This type of multivariate analysis is a tool that the companies expect to use more in the future, and it is expected that this can contribute to further standardization of the products, which is essential for reaching higher paid markets. In addition, continuous monitoring can contribute to a more adapted use of process parameters, and thus a higher yield. Overall, Smartbio provides an important picture of the opportunities and challenges associated with industrial process optimization and digitization, and the results are relevant far beyond the enzymatic processing of residual raw materials.

Verktøyene utviklet i Smartbio er noe bedriftene forventer å bruke mer av i fremtiden og som vil hjelpe bedriftene med videre standardisering av produkter, hvilket er essensielt for å nå høyere betalte markeder. I tillegg vil en mer tilpasset bruk av prosessbetingelser bidra til et høyere utbytte. Ved videre utvikling av teknologiene er dette noe både Biomega og Bioco ønsker å implementere ytterligere. Resultatet fra prosjektet er derfor viktig for å synliggjøre mulighetene for økt verdiskapning som ligger i teknologien, også som grunnlag for investeringsbeslutninger. Prosjektet har i tillegg gitt et unikt bilde av råvare- og produktvariasjon, samt kritiske prosessparametre. Aktivitetene i Smartbio vil i stor grad videreføres, både bedriftsspesifikt og gjennom andre pågående prosjekter. Smartbio viser mulighetene og utfordringene knyttet til industriell prosessoptimering, og resultatene har aktualitet langt utover enzymatiske prosesser.

Enzymatic protein hydrolysis (EPH) is a versatile processing technology of animal and marine by-products. The process involves addition of enzymes to by-products, which results in three fractions: soluble proteins and peptides, lipids, and a mineral-rich sediment. Companies worldwide are investing in this technology to fully utilise their by-products. A primary goal is to introduce protein and peptide fractions to a well-paying human market, e.g. nutrition ingredients, sports nutrition, weight control, or special products for the pet food market. The main obstacle for this goal is to meet the strictly defined product specifications in these markets. The large quality variation in the raw materials fed into the EPH processes is a challenge, since it results in a corresponding undesirable and critical variation in both process yield and product quality. Continuous process monitoring and control is required to achieve optimal yield and specified quality. The processing control tools for achieving this is non-existing in the current EPH industry. SmartBio will meet this challenge by developing novel process analytical technology, which will lead to new product innovations in the EPH industry. The technology will consist of the following parts: - New analytical tools for in-line raw material characterisation - New analytical tools for efficient product characterisation - New approaches for process control and optimization of EPH based on in-line monitoring tools The project results will enable the project partners to produce products for existing and new markets ensuring stable production, less waste and optimal product qualities. The project comprises companies like Bioco and Biomega that are and will be major players in EPH of animal and marine by-products. The SmartBio partners have all acknowledged that a successful project outcome is key to fulfil the great ambition of the participating companies: to maximise value creation from animal and marine by-products.