VTT TECHNICAL RESEARCH CENTRE OF FINLAND LTD

Protein mining of wheat and

rice side-streams - Exploring

novel technological concepts

Emilia Nordlund

Bridge2Food - 9th Protein Summit 2016

Lille, France

September 19th-21st, 2016

20.9.2016 2

VTT Technical Research Centre of

Finland Ltd

Net turnover and other operating

income 272 M€ for VTT Group in 2015(VTT Group’s turnover 185 M€ in 2015)

Personnel 2,470 (VTT Group 31.12.2015 )

Unique research and testing

infrastructure

Wide national and international

cooperation network

We use

4 million

hours of brainpower a

year to develop

new technological

solutions

A leading R&D organisation

in Nordic countries

We provide expert services

for our domestic and

international customers

and partners, both in

private and public sectors

36% of Finnish

innovations

include VTT

expertise

TOP 2VTT is second

most active

patenting

organisation in

Finland (2014)

20/09/2016 3

Pathway to novel protein ingredients

Enrichment

and

modification

technologies

Up-scaling in

our food and

brewing pilot

Techno-functional

properties,

physiological

response

Techno-

economical

evaluation of the

concept

New sources of protein ingredients

Functional ingredients

designed for your specific

needs

Applicability

in food

products

Raw

material

competence

20/09/2016 4

Side-

streams and

non-food raw

materials

Novel cell,

microbe or

plant factory

concepts

New plants

and species

for ingredient

sources

Novel sources of protein ingredients

20/09/2016 5

Plant proteins are a megatrend

Drivers

Global protein supply security

Restricted availability of animal proteins

Consumer interest for high protein foods

Need

Plant sources and agro side streams should be

utilized more efficiently and sustainably

Challenges

Enrichment of protein from the matrix

Technological functionality

Sensory quality

Nutritional quality

PROMINENT

Protein Mining Of Cereal Side-streamsExploring Novel Technological Concepts

20/09/2016 7

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

20/09/2016 8

Cereal raw

materials

Fractionation

and protein

isolation

Modification1) technological

functionality

2) sensory

quality

Pilot-scale

food

applications

LCA & sustainability, safety & regulations, social aspects

Feasibility and economics

Prominent work chart

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

decisions (purity, quality, feasibility, sustainability)

20/09/2016 9

Raw materials from cereal processing industry

20/09/2016 10

Rice bran

11-17% protein

Wheat bran

15-20% protein

Spent grain, DDGS

27-36% protein

Cereal side stream raw materials are

a significant protein source

Wheat bran and rice bran production is totally around 250 million

tons per year Bran protein could feed a billion people

Calculated with 10% raw material protein content and with 50% yield from side streams, and

with 50 g daily protein need

20/09/2016 11

Overview of the fractionation approaches -

Three experimental paths

Wet/Aqueous-

processing• Wheat and rice bran

Dry-fractionation by

air-classification• Wheat and rice bran

Deep eutectic

solvent extraction • Brans, DDGS

Wet-milling

to release

proteins

Enzymatic

hydrolysis

to release

proteins

Feasible protein separation

and concertation

Pretreatments

Fat removal

Milling and sieving trials

Enzyme tests

Air classification Feasible protein separation

and concertation

Screening trials

to study different raw

materials

20/09/2016 12

Dry fractionation – Case rice bran

Fresh rice bran

Defatted fresh rice bran

Pre-treatments• Milling

• Air classification

• Sieving

• Enzymes

Air-classification

Fat extraction by

supercritical carbon

dioxideEffect of different

pre-treatments on

protein enrichment

by air classification

COARSE fractionFINE fraction

Air ClassiFiEr50ATP, Hosokawa Alpine, Scale 50 g – 3 kg

C

O

A

R

S

E

FINE

20/09/2016 14

FINE fraction

Air classification

Protein rich FINE

Milling

Milling and/or air classification enable rice pericarp

removal and protein enrichment

COARSE fraction

Pericarp removed by air

classification

Protein enriched by

milling and air

classification

Coarse fraction from air

classification

Protein enriched by

milling and air

classification

Pre-treatment

dry processing• Air classification

• Fine milling

Defatted fresh rice

bran, non-milled

20/09/2016 15

Dry-fractionation by

air-classification• Wheat and rice bran

Wheat bran

processing

Milling trials

Enzyme tests

Rice bran

processing

Fat-removal

Milling and

sieving

Enzyme tests

Wet/Aqueous-processing of solid side streams

Wet/Aqueous-

processing• Wheat and rice bran

Deep eutectic

solvent extraction • Brans, DDGS

Wet-milling

to release

proteins

Enzymatic

processing

to release

proteins

Feasible protein separation

and concertation

Feasible protein

separation and

concertation

Screening trials to study

different raw materials

20/09/2016 16

Ultra-fine wet milling on wheat bran releases bran

components from matrix and tailors technical quality

Proteins liberated from matrix by wet-milling, but not solubilized

Dry grinding of wheat bran Wet grinding/ Microfluidization

Rosa-Sibakov et al., Journal of Cereal Science 64 (2015) 1-10

20/09/2016 17

Harnessing enzymes for

bran protein recovery

Carbohydrases and proteases

attack the subaleurone proteins of

bran resulting in protein

solubilisation ca. 60%

Activation of bran endogenous

enzymes causes protein

solubilisation up to 75%

Next: exploring the enzyme

treatments effective in a short

treatment time

Best combination of enzymes

Combined with milling

Arte et al., Cereal Chem, 2016, 93(2):162-171

Arte et al., J. Agric. Food Chem. 2015, 63, 8685−

20/09/2016 18

Bioprocessing with enzymes and yeast

transforms the bran protein bioaccesible

Bioprocessing a potential tool to better utilize the proteins from cereal

bran in nutrition

So

lub

le p

rote

in %

fro

m t

ota

l p

rote

in

Time (min)

Bio-

processed

bran

Native

bran

Solubilisation of protein in vitro

Nordlund et al.2013, J Cereal Sci, 58, 200

20/09/2016 19

Dry-fractionation by

air-classification• Wheat and rice bran

Wheat bran

processing

Milling trials

Enzyme tests

Rice bran

processing

Fat-removal

Milling and

sieving

Enzyme tests

Deep eutectic solvent extraction of solid side

streams

Wet/Aqueous-

processing• Wheat and rice bran

Deep eutectic

solvent extraction • Brans, DDGS

Wet-milling

to release

proteins

Enzymatic

hydrolysis

to release

proteins

Feasible protein separation

and concertation

Feasible protein

separation and

concertation

Screening trials to study

different raw materials

20/09/2016 20

DEStraction: Novel approach for spent grain

protein recovery

Extraction of insoluble proteins by a new class of

solvents has been developed at VTT (patent pending)

Deep eutectic solvents (DES)

Formed as a liquid mixture of two high-melting

components

Several food-grade combinations

Unique biopolymer dissolution properties

Previously: 70-80% of Brewers’s spent grain protein

could be extracted using DES (NaAcO:Urea)

DES could be removed from the protein concentrate by

membrane technology

Demonstrated at pilot scale

Production of DES:

20/09/2016 21

DEStraction of distiller’s spent grain (DDGS)

raw materials efficient

Around 50% protein solubilization by DES, with NaOH around 30%

DDGS = Distiller’s

spent grain

41

36

30

38

41

46

37

4748

5349

55 56

35

27

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Rice bran,fresh

Rice bran,stabilized

Wheat bran DDGS (1) DDGS (2)

Pro

tein

yie

ld (

%)

DES1

DES2

NaOH, pH 11

20/09/2016 22

Conclusions and future perspectives

Air-classification of

wheat and rice bran

Analysis of the functionality of the fractions in applications

Main results

• Hull/pericarp removal

• Protein enrichment

Next:

• Optimization of dry-

fractionation

• Pre-treatments

• Air-classification

Bioprocessing of

wheat bran

Main results

• Effective protein

solubilisation by

enzymes

Next:

• Optimization of enzyme

treatments

• Feasible separation and

concertation

Deep eutectic solvent

extraction

Main results

• Effective protein

solubilisation from spent

grain (DDGS)

Next:

• Extraction conditions:

water content and T

• Feasible separation and

concertation

20/09/2016 23

Acknowledgements

Prominent partners: Südzucker AG, AB Enzymes, Upfront Chromatography A/S, United

Biscuits (UK) Ltd, Barilla, Olvi, LUKE, Bridge2Food

Bio Based Industries Joint Undertaking under the EUs Horizon 2020 research and innovation

programme

VTT team on plant protein research

Dr. Nesli Sozer, solid and semi-solid plant-based food systems

Dr Outi Mäkinen, colloidal plant-based food systems

Dr. Katariina Rommi, Fractionation and enzyme technologies

Dr. Dilek Ercili-Cura, colloidal plant-based food systems

MSc Illkka Kajala, Fractionation and fermentation technologies

MSc Pia Silventoinen, Fractionation technologies

Dr. Riikka Juvonen, Fermentation technologies

Dr Raija-Liisa Heiniö, Sensory research

Dr Kyösti Pennanen, Consumer research

Dr. Anna-Marja Aura, In vitro models and research

Dr. Raija Lantto, Head of research area, Biomass and food processing

Dr. Emilia Nordlund, Research team leader, Food Solutions

Prof. Kaisa Poutanen, Research manager

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