Details of the project EPI

Development and implementation of technology for the production of innovative pastes based on off-spec cucumber and vegetables obtained by targeted ultrasound-assisted fermentation as an opportunity

01-07-2022 do 31-12-2024

3 693 579,43

EFRROW; national public funds; own funds

www.kiszmisz.eu

The main objective of the operation will be the development and implementation of technology for the production of innovative pastes based on pickled offspec cucumber and vegetables obtained by targeted ultrasound-assisted fermentation. As a result of the work, pastes will be produced from fermented vegetables based on cucumber and other vegetables included in various utility groups. The work undertaken will also contribute to shaping the consistency of vegetable pastes with the help of non-starchy ingredients such as heteropolysaccharides from flax and chia seeds and other hydrocolloids of natural origin, reducing the share of non-assortment cucumber in the yield and increasing its suitability for fermentation.

The following scope of work is planned: Stage 1: Adaptation of the operational conditions for the implementation of the tasks planned in the following stages. Stage 2: Selection of raw materials, indication of the conditions for fermentation and the concept of the technological line for the production of pastes from fermented vegetables. Stage 3: Indication of the most favorable conditions for the cultivation of cucumber in terms of the factors analyzed in the operation, carrying out fermentation of vegetables intended for the formulation of pastes and preparation of pastes according to the planned recipes. Stage 4: Indication of the most favorable conditions for the cultivation of cucumber in terms of the factors analyzed in the operation, verification of the technological process of paste production on an industrial scale, evaluation of the quality of vegetable pastes immediately after preparation and during storage.

In recent years, fermented foods have gained increasing recognition in the eyes of consumers. Research conducted at the Department of Plant-Based Food Technology on the use of starter cultures for fermenting beet, kale or carrot juice indicates the possibility of creating new products with attractive sensory characteristics and high health-promoting potential, also based on vegetable raw materials other than white cabbage or cucumber. Less popular vegetables, which in our climatic conditions are characterized by high yields and good quality, such as purple carrots, can be used for fermentation. The results obtained so far confirm, among other things, the high stability of vitamins (B6, C), phenolic compounds and carotenoids in the fermented products studied, while maintaining the desired sensory characteristics. On the other hand, the Department of Catering Technology and Functional Foods conducted a number of studies on the use of oilseeds, such as chia seeds and flax seed

The demand for plant-based food among consumers is growing more and more. Their awareness of the relationship between nutrition and health is also growing. Hence, more and more often, even people who do not follow a strict vegetarian diet, increase the share of plant products in their food rations. Raw materials of plant origin usually have a short shelf life and are available fresh only for a short period of the year. Pickling (souring) is a method of preserving fruit and vegetables that has a long tradition in our country. This method allows you to fix a large mass of raw materials in a short time, it is not energy-intensive, and the content of some nutrients is even increased. Consumers also notice these advantages and are increasingly looking for fermented products. Lactic fermentation is commonly carried out using the spontaneous microflora of raw materials. However, the use of directed fermentation with specific strains of bacteria has not been used in the production

The work carried out in the project will contribute to the development of a product innovation in the form of pickled vegetable pastes and the creation of a prototype technological line for the production of cucumber-based vegetable pastes with the participation of, for example, purple carrots or zucchini. In addition, this form of product will make it possible to utilize off-grade cucumbers, which have so far increased the stream of raw materials not used for consumption purposes (10-12% of the raw material's weight) due to their unsuitable shape or size (overgrown raw material). What's more, the technological process will also be able to manage other valuable by-products generated at various stages of the fruit and vegetable production process, such as pre-treatment or juice pressing. Another benefit is the modification of the technological process through the use of ultrasonic pre-treatment and starter cultures allowing to intensify the fermentation process and determine the conditions for conducting controlled fermentation of vegetable raw materials. The proposed solutions also provide the benefit of improving the consistency stability of food products that are heterogeneous systems using oilseeds.

The expected results of the work comprehended will be the development and implementation of an improved method of cucumber cultivation allowing to reduce the share of out-of-season cucumber in the yield as well as to increase its suitability for the fermentation process. In addition, the result will be a digital solution allowing the selection of the optimal yielding variety among the tested ones, as well as the prediction of the optimal harvest date for a given variety (facilitating the planning and optimization of field work). There will also be consumer management of off-grade cucumber and an increase in the utilization rate of vegetable raw materials by omitting the peeling procedure in the production of fermented vegetable pastes. This will reduce the amount of unutilized raw materials and by-products in agricultural and food production and redirect them to the raw material stream used for food purposes. In addition, there will be the implementation of an innovative product: an assortment of three fermented vegetable pastes based on cucumber and other vegetables from different utilitarian or botanical groups (root vegetables - carrot, beet; solanaceous - tomato, bell pepper; cucurbitaceous - pumpkin, zucchini), characterized by high yield and good quality under Polish conditions. At the Entrepreneur, there will be the implementation of an innovative process of directed fermentation of selected vegetables assisted by ultrasound to the technology of production of vegetable preparations (pastes), as well as an innovative technology of production of pastes from fermented vegetables allowing to shape their desired consistency, using hydrocolloids of natural origin, including heteropolysaccharides, e.g. from flax and chia seeds. The operation will develop the conditions and proportions of non-starchy ingredients used.

food quality / food processing and nutrition