Innovative processing of potato and vegetables (INPROVE)

The global volume of vegetable food waste, not including agricultural waste, is estimated at 400 million tons/year. Valorisation of unused biomass during processing thus enhances food production sustainability and contributes to a lower ecological impact. In the INPROVE project we aim to develop sustainable food production systems addressing novel, innovative technologies for processing of potatoes and vegetables (e.g. carrot, broccoli, cauliflower, black salsify, celeriac, pea and legumes). 

We determine the potential to conserve energy and water consumption and at the same time to improve sensory and nutritional quality in a number of new processing technologies, including 3 types of microwave processes. We examine to what extent the pretreatment of the vegetable raw materials with pulsed electric field (PEF) and with supercritical liquid extraction (SFE) add value to underutilized residual flows. We use mathematical modeling and 'innovative process design' to optimise the conditions for innovative processing technologies and to improve energy and cost efficiency. We also use modeling as a tool to predict how process design influences the kinetics of retention of nutrients and functional properties of processed food products and how it contributes to desired properties and quality. We also look at the extent to which a new kind of canning technology (with modified tin geometries) complements the process design, again to improve energy efficiency.