For some time, consumers have been concerned about preservatives and additives in their food and whether they are truly safe for consumption. This has led to a growing trend in consumer preference for natural, clean labeling for additives, preservatives, and food ingredients in general. Many natural preservatives or antioxidants (examples: green tea extracts, rosemary extracts, grapeseed extracts, etc.) are expensive and have low extraction yields.
Researchers at Kansas State University have developed a novel method to use the by-products from corn or sorghum ethanol production to produce natural antioxidants by extracting protein hydrolysates and peptides. These natural antioxidants can be added to human food, pet food, or animal/livestock feed to improve product stability and extend shelf-life, along with the health benefits of providing amino acids and energy after consumption. The left over by-products from the antioxidant production can also be passed on and used as animal feed by itself.
Advantages:
- Easy to implement and relatively inexpensive: small additions to existing biofuel process or as a standalone process
- Natural origin, rather than synthetic, antioxidant derived from processing by-product
- Improves food stability and extends shelf life, reducing food waste
- Improves the overall economic return if integrated into biofuel production processes
Applications:
- Pet food, higher-end
- Animal feed
- Human foodstuffs, including but not limited to high-fat bakery products, ground meat, and oils/fats
Additional Details
Owner: Kansas State University
IP Protection Status: Pending Patent