VTT TECHNICAL RESEARCH CENTRE OF FINLAND LTD

PROMINENT
Protein Mining Of Cereal Side-streams
Exploring Novel Technological Concepts

Kaisa Poutanen
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland
Kaisa.Poutanen@vtt.fi
Pathway to novel protein ingredients

New Techno-
sources LCA,
functional
of protein Socioeconomic
properties,
ingredients effects
physiological
responses Functional
ingredients
designed for
specific
consumer
needs

Enrichment Applicability Techno-

and in food economical
modification products evaluation of
technologies the concept

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Motivation: to valorize protein in sidestreams

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 Cereal side stream raw materials are
a significant protein source

Wheat bran Rice bran Spent grain, DDGS

15-20% protein 11-17% protein 27-36% protein

§ Wheat bran and rice bran production is totally around 250 million
tons per year à Bran protein could feed a billion people
§ Calculated with 15% raw material protein content and with 50% yield from side streams, and
with 50 g daily protein need

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PROMINENT project in a nutshell
Aim
§ To develop techno-economically feasible and sustainable
food protein concepts that meet consumer demands
§ To develop technologies to enrich and concentrate protein from
solid and liquid side streams
§ To tailor techno-functional and sensory properties of the protein
rich fractions
§ To use the fractions either as performance proteins or nutrients
§ To assess the sustainability and socio-economic performance of
the process scenarios

§ Consortium: VTT (coordinator), Südzucker AG, AB Enzymes, Upfront

Chromatography A/S, United Biscuits (UK) Ltd, Barilla, Olvi, LUKE,
Bridge2Food
§ Schedule: 2015-2018, Budget 3.1m€
§ Funding: Prominent project is part of the Bio Based Industries Joint
Undertaking under the EUs Horizon 2020 research and innovation
programme

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Prominent work chart

Feasibility and economics

Fractionation Modification Pilot-scale

Cereal raw
and for improved food
materials
concentration functionality applications

LCA & sustainability, safety & regulations, social aspects

key evaluation points for success and for the ”go/no

go” decisions (purity, quality, feasibility, sustainability)

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Prominent technologies and applications

Feasibility and economics

Food products
Dry fractionation Modification
Rice and containing
Use of enzymes for improved
wheat bran PROMINENT-
Ultrafiltration techno-
Liquid side fractions as
Expanded bed functional
streams performance
chromatography properties
proteins or nutrients

LCA & sustainability, safety & regulations, social aspects

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Prominent key results

Feasibility and economics

I
Protein Solubility M Pasta, Cake,
Protein content: enrichment Foaming P Beverage,
15-17% (bran), 33% (bran Colloidal R Crackers Meat-
O
27-36% fractions) stability V analogues,
(liquid streams) 95% (liquid Emulsifying E Yoghurt-type
fractions) Gelling D products

LCA & sustainability, safety & regulations, social aspects

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Solubility is the key parameter when defining
functional properties of proteins → Insoluble
proteins have limited potential in food applications
§ Functional properties such as foaming, gel formation and colloidal
stability are dependent on protein solubility
§ Plant proteins have generally low solubility
àPoor functional agents
§ Solubility of a protein requires ionic water-protein interactions
§ Protein-protein interactions lead to insolubility due to increased
hydrophobic interactions
§ Solubility is low especially at isoelectric point where protein-protein
interactions are more favourable

Solubility of egg Solubility of

at
white protein pH 7 rice endosperm
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Foaming and colloidal stability are functional
properties where soluble proteins act as
structural agents
§ In foams, soluble proteins § Colloidal stability
1. unfold after whipping § soluble proteins stabilise the
2. orient to air water-interface dispersion
3. encase the air droplets § insoluble proteins aggregate
to the bottom
Stable colloidal Unstable colloidal
solution solution Insoluble
proteins
aggregate in
solution

and sediment
to the bottom
after
aggregation

1. 2. 3.
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Degree of enzymatic modification increased rice
protein solubility and improved colloidal stability

90 Modified
pH 7 Protein
80
pH 5
70
Solubility
60 70%
Solubility (%)

50

40

30 Un-
20 modified
10
Protein
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 Solubility
Degree of modification (%) 0%
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 Increased rice protein solubility also improved
foam stability

90
pH 7
80
pH 5
70
Soluble proteins (%)

60

50
Enhanced foam quality and
stability of modified proteins
40

30

20

10 uneven
structure
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Foam structure of unmodified
Degree of modification (%) protein had high drainage and
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Feasibility: Developing multidimensional
decision-making in selecting the process
alternatives for further development
OBJECTIVE:
Holistic view of the
alternatives’ potential

Protein Functi Sensory Mass IP/ Econ. Market

Safety CAPEX TRL
content onality quality yield FTO feasibility share
(*) (M€) (*)
(w-%) (*) (*) (w-%) (*) (€/MT) (%)

Market &
Protein ingredient Process
economics
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In addition to environmental, also social
sustainability is being
Click to edit Master assessed
title style
§ S-LCA is a method to asses the social and socio-economic
impacts of all life-cycle stages from cradle to grave, looking at the
§ Click to editlife-cycle
complete Master text of a styles
product
§ Second
§ These are level
related to resource extraction, processing,
§ Third levelassembly, marketing, sale, use, recycling, and
manufacturing,
§ Fourth level
disposal, among others, that may be identified during the
§ Fifth level
construction of the product system
§ The utilized framework is based on Guidelines for Social Life Cycle
Assessment of Products published by UNEP/SETAC (2009)
(Cooperation between the United Nations Environmental
Programme (UNEP) and the Society of Environmental Toxicology
and Chemistry (SETAC) )
§ Implementation is product and context driven

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 Acknowledgements
§ VTT team
§ Dr. Emilia Nordlund, Research team leader, Food
Solutions
§ Dr. Dilek Ercili-Cura, Colloidal food systems
§ Dr. Nesli Sozer, Solid and semi-solid food systems
§ Dr Eemeli Hytönen, Techno-economic assessment
§ MSc Illkka Kajala, Fractionation and fermentation
technologies
§ MSc Pia Silventoinen, Fractionation technologies
§ MSc Anni Nisov, Enzyme-aided protein modification
§ MSc Lotta Sorsamäki , Techno-economic assessment
§ Südzucker AG: Dr Alain Graf, Dr. Wolfgang Wach
§ Other Prominent partners:, AB Enzymes, Upfront
Chromatography A/S, United Biscuits (UK) Ltd, Barilla,
Olvi, LUKE, Bridge2Food
§ Bio Based Industries Joint Undertaking under the EU
Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme
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TECHNOLOGY FOR BUSINESS