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NOFIMA-FFL-NOFIMAS STRATEGISKE PROGRAMMER-FFL

Precision Food Production

Alternative title: Presisjonsproduksjon av mat

Awarded: NOK 64.2 mill.

The world is facing enormous challenges in terms of sustainability and food security for a growing population. Precision will develop precision technology, enabling the food industry to produce exactly the products and qualities that are needed and at the same time minimizing food waste. We focus on three enabling technologies: Novel biotechnological processes, smart sensors for rapid assessment of food quality and data analytical tools. Fermentation of hydrolysates using lactic acid bacteria improves their sensory properties. Collagen peptides from chicken carcasses have been tested as an ingredient in sausages and for tenderizing tough meat through injection. We have separated hydrolysates into large and small bioactive peptides and observed that the small peptides act on specific signaling pathways in living cells, important knowledge when formulating dietary supplements. A consumer survey on Norwegians' perception of cultured meat has been conducted. We have developed a growth factor that can replace growth serum in the cultivation medium for meat cells. This factor has a similar effect to commercial growth factors, even when culturing cells in completely serum-free cell medium. We have established tools for genetic manipulation of the yeast strain Pichia and have begun work on producing recombinant bovine collagen. Based on eggshell membrane and/or turkey collagen, we have developed edible spheres on which muscle cells can grow in bioreactors. These function just as well as commercial spheres. Furthermore, we have produced bacterial cellulose (BC) and examined its biocompatibility as a biomaterial. Muscle cells grow nicely in dense fine structures resembling the in vivo pattern, even without modifying BC. We have cultured muscle cells in a bioreactor and compared various process conditions. Two separate long-term experiments have shown that the cells remain alive and functional even after 38 days in a bioreactor. A long-term goal is to develop smart sensors that can be used in industrial processes. With a NIR prototype instrument, we have demonstrated the ability to measure sugar content in strawberries without contact, in the field. This is of interest for use in agricultural robots. We have tested and evaluated Raman spectroscopy for in-line measurement of fat, protein, collagen, and bone in ground chicken production waste. The results are promising and demonstrate that Raman is suitable for industrial measurements. Studies now suggest that Raman is more robust than NIR spectroscopy against variations in the physical properties of samples. The ability to easily transfer instrument calibrations from the lab to industry or between instruments is crucial to make spectroscopic methods cost-effective. We have studied strategies for such transfer for both NIR and Raman. Using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, a technique that allows the detection of chemical components at very low concentrations, we are trying to detect histamine in solutions. This will also be tested for other harmful biogenic amines. Various processes can be measured and understood using spectroscopy. By using Raman and FTIR, it is possible to measure important properties in the growth medium during the cultivation of meat cells. We have used Raman to monitor coagulation properties in milk under different conditions. Dry film FTIR measurements performed in-process, provide new insights into how process variations in enzymatic hydrolysis of waste materials affect the quality of the hydrolysates. We have observed that such measurements also provide information about protein composition in milk. In the field of Multivariate Data Analysis, we develop statistical methods to interpret and understand complex datasets. A book on "multiblock methods" summarizing this area has been published. Large datasets from the industry are collected in DigiFoods, and these are used for method development in Precision. We explore methods for calibration transfer, which is crucial for efficient use of spectroscopic sensors in the industry. We develop strategies for utilizing spectroscopic measurements for process optimization, with a significant focus on analysing industrial time series data. Within cluster analysis and segmentation, we work on applications in consumer research. We have examined how binary data can be used to segment consumers, how to account for cross-cultural differences in international studies, how text mining can be used to understand consumer behaviour, and how the choice of distance metric affects the results of cluster analysis. We have published a new strategy for interpreting effects in omics data and gut microbiota. We have also investigated how preprocessing of sensory data impacts interpretation, and proposed a new method for comparing products to a reference. In the field of causal modelling, we have developed a new method for testing assumptions in path diagrams. At this point, 52 scientific papers have been published.

The global food production is facing enormous challenges in terms of sustainability and food security for a growing population. We need to reduce food losses, fully exploit raw materials and produce food more sustainably. To achieve this, we need precision food production, a food industry that produces exactly the products and qualities that the market needs and at the same time minimizes food waste. This research program will contribute to such an industry by the development of three enabling technologies: 1. Novel biotechnological processes which may provide targeted production of crucial food components, by exploiting rest raw materials from food processing. We will develop and study new processes based on combinations of enzymatic protein hydrolysis, precision fermentation and culturing of meat. 2. Smart sensors for rapid assessment of food quality, which will enable monitoring and control of production processes to minimise food loss and optimise yield and end quality. We will develop spectroscopic sensors for in-line quality control and chemical characterisation, and study how these can be part of larger solutions that facilitate product differentiation, consumer satisfaction and personalized nutrition. 3. Data analytical tools that transform large and complex data into relevant, reliable and useful information. Such tools are strictly needed to release the full potential of the technologies 1 and 2, as well as of other scientific disciplines and modern food industry. We will address challenges related to prediction and interpretation by combining methods from statistics, chemometrics and machine learning. Precision will develop enabling technology and knowledge, which will improve and modernize the existing land-based food industry. The novel biotechnological methodology to be developed will in long term potentially be the foundation of a new kind of Norwegian food industry that will produce tomorrow's food in a smart, sustainable and innovative way.

Publications from Cristin

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NOFIMA-FFL-NOFIMAS STRATEGISKE PROGRAMMER-FFL

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