Sustainable food solutions for the future
The world food catastrophe is getting closer. Droughts and floods induced by climate change are endangering our ability to provide adequate food for a growing global population. Estimates from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change suggest that crop yields may decrease by as much as 25% by 2050.
In addition to these effects, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused supply chain disruptions, which have a negative effect on food security. This has led to shortages of all manner of foodstuff from poultry to palm oil, as well as soaring food costs.By restricting access to energy, increasing inflation, and increasing debt, geopolitical tensions and wars exacerbate the already growing issue of food insecurity.
Meanwhile, the United Nations estimates that each year, about one-third, or 1.3 billion tonnes, of the food produced for human use is lost or squandered. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization reports that 1.9 billion persons worldwide are overweight or obese, indicating startlingly high obesity rates.
In light of this, experts at NTU have developed creative solutions to enable us to secure a sustainable future. They back the university’s efforts to lessen its influence on the environment, which is one of the four “grand challenges” facing humanity that NTU has recognized and plans to tackle with its NTU 2025 strategic plan.
utilizing food waste fermentation to make food
One possible resource that can be used to sustainably enhance food supply, decrease obesity, and reduce food waste is edible by-products from the food manufacturing process. Okara, the insoluble leftovers of soybeans used to make beancurd and soy milk, and brewer’s spent grain, which is leftover barley pulp from the beer industry, are two examples of these by-products.
Okara, which is mostly composed of soybean fiber, is high in nutrients, including carbs, and protein. The world produces 1.4 billion tonnes of okara annually, primarily in Asian nations like China, Japan, Korea, and Singapore.
Likewise, brewer’s spent grain has a high protein and fiber content. An estimated 39 million tons of discarded grain are produced annually during the manufacturing of beer, which ranks as the fifth most popular beverage in the world.Microorganisms like fungi and bacteria can improve the nutritional profile of okara and brewer’s spent grain.
Okara
In a study published in LWT – Food Science and Technology in December 2021, okara fermented with a mixed culture of the fungus Aspergillus oryzae and the bacterium Bacillus subtilis, commonly used to make soy sauce, was found to have the best total dietary fibre profile and highest content of phenolics – compounds with antioxidant properties.
“Dr. Ken Lee, senior lecturer at NTU’s School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, is a way to repurpose okara, a major food manufacturing side stream that is often discarded, and transform it into a highly nutritious food,” said Dr. Lee, who oversaw the study.
Additionally, Dr. Lee’s research has demonstrated that fermented okara can be utilized as a weight loss aid. Okara from Sing Ghee Beancurd Manufacturer, one of Singapore’s top beancurd producers, was fermented with the fungi Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus sojae, which are used to make miso and soy sauce, in a partnership with Waseda University in Japan. According to the study’s conclusions, rats given a diet supplemented with fermented okara acquired the least amount of weight after three weeks when compared to rats given regular and high-fat diets. They also had reduced levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, as well as less visceral and subcutaneous fat.
Grain spent
Similarly, fermented wasted grain can be used to create a food emulsifier that is high in protein. Furthermore, this unique emulsifier is totally generated from plants, in contrast to commercial food emulsifiers made from egg yolk.
A study headed by NTU Food Science and Technology Program Director Professor William Chen used protein extraction and drying to create the product.
This plant-based emulsifier can be used in place of dairy and eggs in condiments like whipped cream, salad dressings, and mayonnaise.
The plant-based emulsifier created mayonnaise with higher protein and antioxidant levels than the store-bought version. It also included larger concentrations of some important amino acids.
The mayonnaise made using the NTU emulsifier had a better texture and spreadability than store-bought mayonnaise, but it tasted exactly the same.
“Repurposing food waste, like spent grain, for human consumption presents a chance to improve food supply chain processing efficiency and possibly encourage a more nutritious plant-based protein substitute to enhance diets,” stated Professor Chen.
Food derived from unusual sources
In addition to converting food waste into edibles, alternate sources of food and components might lessen the strain on their supplies in the event of disruptions. They might also lessen the harm that these food products’ traditional manufacturing does to the environment.
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Meat substitute
Recently, a meat-like food product made of healthy fungus was created by Prof. Chen and his team. The product is grown on the same fungus, Agaricus bisporus, that also produces button mushrooms. The food product made from fungi at NTU tastes more like meat and has a higher nutritional value than proteins made from peas, chickpeas, wheat gluten, and soy. It is grown on nutrient-rich common food waste, such as soybean skin, wheat stem, and brewers’ leftover grain.The most popular vegetable oil is palm oil, which is used in a variety of food items like cooking oil and chocolate.
However, the explosive growth of oil palm plantations has been linked to widespread deforestation in a number of nations, resulting in the destruction of native wildlife’s habitats.Earlier this year, labor shortages brought on by COVID-19 restrictions caused problems in the production of palm oil, which in turn caused prices to skyrocket and a production shortfall.Edible oils that can take the place of palm oil are being investigated as a way to ease these shortages.
Oil from microalgae
Edible oils were derived from a common microalga, Chromochloris zofingiensis, through cultivation in a study headed by Professor Chen.
The study’s conclusions showed that microalgae oil was both healthier and more environmentally beneficial than palm oil. It has a higher concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids than palm oil, which can help lower blood levels of “bad” cholesterol and lower the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Additionally, there are fewer saturated fatty acids in the oil made from microalgae, which was created in partnership with researchers from the University of Malaya in Malaysia. These fatty acids have been connected to stroke and other disorders.
The microalgae convert carbon dioxide to biomass really quickly as they expand. Therefore, since microalgae can convert carbon dioxide into biomass and oxygen through photosynthesis, the scientists claim that employing them to generate edible oil will also aid in the removal of carbon dioxide from the environment.
In order to get these culinary discoveries from the lab and onto our plates, Prof. Chen is actively collaborating with domestic and foreign food companies. Keep an eye on this area.