WHEYSAN

Natural whey-based disinfection formula: a solution for the sanitizing of whole and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables

 Partecipanti

Mappa

 Word cloud

Esplora la "nuvola delle parole (Word Cloud) per avere un'idea di massima del progetto.

 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'The purpose of the project WHEYSAN is to provide a solution for two major issues that currently affect to the competitiveness of the participant SMEs: the management of whey and postharvest disinfection of fruits and vegetables (F&V). The whey is the residual liquid fraction that is obtained during the production of cheese. Its raised content of lactose makes it a high contaminant waste which needs to be processed before disposal. Postharvest disinfection of F&V is crucial for extending the market time of the produce, and chlorine is the sanitizer most widely used. However, the likely formation of carcinogenic chlorinated compounds in water has called into question chlorine application, which is already banned in several EU countries. Whey and its derivatives have shown promising perspectives as natural preservatives for disinfection of F&V. The project WHEYSAN aims to develop new technologies for the decontamination of whole and fresh-cut F&V and for the processing of whey to achieve a profitable byproduct with sanitizing properties. For this purpose, the whey produced by the dairy SME will be treated under different processing conditions and the efficacy of the whey derivatives as sanitizing agents for F&V will be assessed. The most successful whey derivatives will be fully characterized. Also, a protocol for whey processing will be established to reduce the heterogeneity among the samples. In order to make real the industrial exploitation of the new disinfection strategy, a commercial formula containing the whey derivatives will be developed. Moreover, the laboratory results will be scaled-up and the most efficient conditions for disinfection of whole and fresh-cut F&V will be defined at pilot and industrial scales. Consequently, the project WHEYSAN will provide two major benefits for the participant SMEs: a new source of revenue from the whey-based sanitizing formula, and an increased turnover from the commercialization of chlorine-free F&V in the organic market'

Introduzione (Teaser)

Using a by-product from cheese production, a natural fruit and vegetable wash can be created. This solution might be an organic alternative to chlorine.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

The shelf-life of fruits and vegetables must be extended in order to meet consumer demands. The dairy industry produces a large amount of the by-product whey, which is considered a high-contaminant waste if not processed before disposal. Exploring the possibility of using whey is a solution to both issues.

Funded by the EU, the http://www.contactica.es/wheysan/ (WHEYSAN) project proposes a natural whey-based disinfection formula as a solution for sanitising whole and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables. One of the main objectives of WHEYSAN is to find a natural sanitising alternative to chlorine for fruits and vegetables. Another objective is to find a solution for a highly polluting by-product of the dairy industry, unprocessed whey.

Four different kinds of cheeses and the respective types of whey were analysed and underwent different potential processes. In total, 16 different combinations of whey types and treatments were obtained and brought to the analytical lab for a further physico-chemical and microbial analysis.

The eventual results of the project will include a whey-based raw material with sanitising properties and a whey-based commercial formula. Industrial protocols for whey processing, for sanitiser application on whole fruit and vegetables, and for sanitiser application on fresh-cut fruit and vegetables will be created.

A whey-based commercial formula is the project's main breakthrough, and while not yet identified, antimicrobial and proximate analyses have been performed. It was determined that the following three methods are required to determine antimicrobial activity: disk diffusion, agar dilution, and broth dilution. Of these three, disk diffusion and broth dilution were chosen for usage.

Protocols for whey processing with EU directives were identified regarding information related to customers, food safety, environmental issues and the commercialisation of biocide products. In terms of creating an industrial protocol for sanitiser application, issues such as the types of washers, factors influencing washing efficiency and the basics of fogging have been considered.

This project offers an important opportunity to transform a harmful waste product into a natural and environmentally friendly sanitisation alternative, thus achieving a profitable by-product.