Cascaded valorization of food waste using bioconversions as core processes

L. Garcia-Gonzalez, S. Bijttebier, S. Voorspoels, M. Uyttebroek, K. Elst, W. Dejonghe, Y. Satyawali, D. Pant, K. Vanbroekhoven, H. De Wever

17/06/2014 2© 2014, VITO NV

765 people

> 27 nationalities

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

VITO in a nut shell M€

Bringing Solutions to Industry

17/06/2014 3© 2014, VITO NV

Separation

Conversion

Process and waste streams

raw materials

process water

solvent

Electrochemical

Chemical

Biological

Electroseparation

Membrane Technology

Extraction

Producing muchmore with much less

Rethinking the way we make things

17/06/2014 4© 2014, VITO NV

Food waste (FW)

» The end products of various food processing industries that have not beenrecycled or used for other purposes. They are the non-product flows ofraw materials whose economic value is less than the cost of collection andrecovery for reuse; therefore discarded as waste.

17/06/2014 5© 2014, VITO NV

Current FW practices

» Animal feed Land injection Incineration

» Low value to waste

» Costly and inefficient

» Environmental concerns

» Valuable compounds are lost

17/06/2014 6© 2014, VITO NV

Advanced FW valorisation strategies

Pfaltzgraff et al. 2013

Biorefinery

17/06/2014 7© 2014, VITO NV

Biorefinery

17/06/2014 8© 2014, VITO NV

Step 1:Characterization of biomass on molecular level

Lipids Proteins CarbohydratesSecondary

plant metabolites

Vitamins

Food waste

Health promoting

However: No valorisation from SIDE STREAMS

Reason:Composition of side streams often not known!

CarotenoidsPolyphenolsPhytosterols

Valuable compounds

17/06/2014 9© 2014, VITO NV

Step 1:Characterization of biomass on molecular level

Sample preparation

• Generic character:• Labile components (degradation)• Interferences during detection

Instrumental analysis

• Generic character• Selectivity component differentiation

• Structural information

700 carotenoids Search for differences!

Identification

• Scarcity of reference standards• Component databases• Complementary identification

techniques

High Pressure Liquid Chromatography Ultra HPLC Supercritical Fluid Chromatography Gas Chromatrography Liquid chromatography coupled to

photodiode array mass spectrometry

Quantification

• Scarcity of reference standards• Method performance

17/06/2014 10© 2014, VITO NV

CarotenoidsPhytosterolsPolyacetylenes

Capsaicinoids

Fat soluble vitamins

Mono- and digalactosyldiacylglycerolsSphingolipidsDi- and triacylglycerols

Bijttebier et al., JAFC, published online (2014)

17/06/2014 11© 2014, VITO NV

Step 2: Extraction of added value compounds

» Such as phytochemicals, carotenoids, …

» Mechanical separation for separation of juice and fiber fraction

» Green solvents should replace the organic solvents

» Supercritical CO2

» Enzyme assisted extraction

» Energy-efficient technologies

» Microwave

» Ultrasound

17/06/2014 12© 2014, VITO NV

Step 2: Extraction of added value compounds

Case study: OPEC, Orange Peel Exploitation Company

Pfaltzgraff et al. 2012

17/06/2014 13© 2014, VITO NV

Step 2: Extraction of added value compounds

Case study: OPEC, Orange Peel Exploitation Company

60% of OP was transformed to valuable products

Now in collaboration with industry

Balu et al. 2012

17/06/2014 14© 2014, VITO NV

Step 3: Bioconversions of FW via enzyme technology

» Enzymatic hydrolysis followed by fractionation with different purification/separation techniques

» Batch mode

» Simple operation

» Easy control

» High enzyme and labour costs

» Calatyic activity loss

» Variability of product quality between batches

Galacto-oligosaccharidesWhey

17/06/2014 15© 2014, VITO NV

Step 3: Bioconversions of FW via enzyme technology

» Enzymatic membrane reactor

» Reuse of enzymes

» Removal of enzyme-inhibitinghydrolysates

» Production of hydrolysates withuniform mass

» No inactivation of enzyme required

» Continuous operation

17/06/2014 16© 2014, VITO NV

Step 3: Bioconversions of FW via enzyme technology

» Case study:

Tailor made prebiotic pectin-oligosaccharides (POS) from sugarbeet pulp

Mix Pectin/POS fractions Tailor made (POS)

Membrane with certain MW cut off

Babbar et al. 2014

17/06/2014 17© 2014, VITO NV

Step 3: Bioconversions of FW via enzyme technology

» Case study:

Tailor made prebiotic pectin-oligosaccharides (POS) from sugarbeet pulp

Enzymatichydrolysis coupled

to

UF membrane

MWCO 10kDa

(POS < or = DP50)

Fractionationpermeate bycascade of different

membranes

Membrane MWCO 400 Da

expected POS < or = DP2

Prebiotic +

biofunctionality

Membrane MWCO 600 Da

expected POS < or = DP3

Prebiotic +

biofunctionality

Membrane MWCO 1 kDa

expected POS < or = DP5

Prebiotic +

biofunctionality

Membrane MWCO 5 kDa

Expected POS < or = 25

Prebiotic +

biofunctionalityBabbar et al. 2014

17/06/2014 18© 2014, VITO NV

Step 3: Bioconversions of FW via enzyme technology

» Case study:

Tailor made prebiotic pectin-oligosaccharides (POS) from sugarbeet pulp

Hydrolysate

fractionated over

membranes with

different cut off

Monomers 400 DaOligomers > or = 600-800 DaBigger molecules

Babbar et al. 2014

17/06/2014 19© 2014, VITO NV

Step 4: Bioconversions of FW via fermentation

» Renewable resource for the production of chemicals via microbial bioconversion

» Directly or after pretreatment and/or hydrolysis

» An array of products (commodity and specialty) can be produced

» Fermentation and downstream process need to be optimized

17/06/2014 20© 2014, VITO NV

Step 4: Bioconversions of FW via fermentation

Carboxylate

17/06/2014 21© 2014, VITO NV

Lin et al. 2013

From bakery waste

To enzymes

To

Succinic acid (platform molecule)

Polyhydroxyalkanoate (biopolymer)

Case study 1: Commodity chemicals

Step 4: Bioconversions of FW via fermentation

17/06/2014 22© 2014, VITO NV

Leek wasteSpontaneous fermentation

Bio-active compounds

• Increase in antioxidant

capacity

• Increase of endogenous

polyphenolic compounds

• Production of polyphenolic

compounds

Case study 2: Specialty chemicals

Bernaert et al. 2013

Step 4: Bioconversions of FW via fermentation

17/06/2014 23© 2014, VITO NV

Step 4: Bioconversions of FW via fermentation

Case study 3: Combination of FW

Sophorolipids

Van Bogaert et al. 2007

Candida bombolica

Sophorolipids

17/06/2014 24© 2014, VITO NV

Conclusion

“Richard Rubbish: I am not trash, I have inner values.”

BUT

Still long way to go for industrial implementation

17/06/2014 25© 2014, VITO NV

ReNEW –Resource innovation Network for European Waste

» WHY?» because today’s waste companies are tomorrow’s raw

material suppliers

» WHAT? » Network for companies, public administration and

research institutes

» Showcase technological innovation - demonstration of pilot processes (17 Pilot Plants at 8 sites)

» Industrial support through a voucher scheme

» HOW? www.renew-network.eu

17/06/2014 26© 2014, VITO NV

Thank you for your attention

More information?

Linsey Garcia-Gonzalez

linsey.garcia-gonzalez@vito.be

+32 (0) 14 33 69 81

www.vito.be