384: Comparative Studies on Pilot Scale-Up and Laboratory Scale Processing of Millet-Based Upcycled Food Products

Introduction

The "circular economy" aims to reduce food industry waste by upcycling it into wholesome products, addressing issues such as hunger, water loss, biodiversity decline, and climate change. Acid whey waste in the dairy industry, currently lacks proper disposal methods, and poses environmental risks. On the other hand, millets, are highly nutritious underutilized ancient grains. A circular economy approach could tackle both problems to develop upcycled value added products.

The food industry uses pilot plant scale-up strategies to create reliable manufacturing procedures to transition from lab-scale formulations to industrial-scale production. This study investigates the feasibility of incorporating spray-dried acid whey encapsulated into millet flour at the lab scale and explores its potential for industrial-scale production. This study examines the resulting powders' physical, functional, and structural properties to assess their suitability as a food product.

Methods

The spray-dried acid-whey millet powder (laboratory and pilot scale samples) were analyzed for various physical and chemical properties, including color, water activity, moisture content, water holding capacity, hygroscopicity, solubility, dispersibility, density (tap, true, and bulk), flowability, porosity, antioxidant properties, amino acid, vitamin, and mineral profiling and, total fat content. Statistical analysis was done using one-way ANOVA at (p ≤ 0.05)

Results

The laboratory spray-dried millet-acid whey powder and pilot scale spray-dried samples showed nearly the same water activity (0.25±0.0) and had significantly similar moisture content, (4.13±0.12) in the laboratory sample and (4.73±0.28) in the pilot scale sample, indicating that both samples have good storage stability. The laboratory spray-dried samples had a significantly higher Whitening Index (93.39±0.01) compared to pilot scale samples (79.62±1.3) indicating that color is a major concern while scaling up in industries. The color difference is due to the non-availability of a large quantity of specific millet variety for processing in pilot scale-up. These properties play a key role in determining the overall quality and texture of the final product, which in turn influences its suitability and appeal for human consumption.

Significance

The food product developed in this research has the potential to serve as an alternative food source addressing food security among vulnerable population groups, helping to reduce the global hunger index.

Authors: Kaarunya Shekar and Dr. Kiruba Krishnaswamy