Upcycling

Companies can create alternative protein products by repurposing agricultural byproducts or surplus food. This process is known as upcycling. By upcycling protein sources like seed oil cakes (such as sunflower, canola, and groundnut), beer spent grain (barley), starch wastewater from corn and potato, algae/seaweed, and waste from the animal industry (such as fish stick water), manufacturers can produce sustainable and nutrient-rich foods, which can have a positive impact on the environment.

What is Upcycling Food?

Upcycled food has emerged as a powerful solution to the estimated 1 billion tons of food generated annually, valued at around 1 trillion USD, according to the World Food Program USA. Upcycling involves taking byproducts or waste and turning them into value-added ingredients suitable for human consumption. This innovative approach mitigates the environmental impact of food waste and provides a sustainable and economically viable alternative to traditional waste disposal methods. This process prevents these materials from ending up in landfills or being used as inexpensive animal feed. The sources of protein via upcycling are diverse. They can include sub-grade produce, byproducts generated from food ingredient manufacturing (both animal and plant-based), and food preparation scraps that are typically discarded within the food supply chain. By repurposing these otherwise underutilized or discarded materials, upcycling food helps to reduce the strain on landfills. It offers a more sustainable and efficient use of valuable resources with a positive environmental impact.

Benefits of upcycling food

Repurposing food ingredients through upcycling enables a circular economy and can successfully meet some of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this instance, these include:

Zero Hunger

The EU alone generates over 59 million tons of food waste annually with an estimated market value of 132 billion euros. Upcycling sources can include substandard produce, byproducts of food ingredient manufacturing (both animal and plant-based), and food preparation scraps that are typically discarded from the food supply chain. Not only is wasting food an economic issue that could help eradicate malnutrition and hunger, but it is also depleting the environment of its limited natural resources.

Responsible Consumption and Production

The current practice of diverting waste byproducts to animal feed is not sustainable in the long run. Studies have shown that this practice could lead to chemical, physical, or biological hazards, such as mycotoxins and plastics, which can harm animals or end up in the human food chain. Finding a reliable, traceable, and safe way to process and produce upcycled proteins while ensuring food safety and consumer acceptance will be critical to the success of this industry. Consumer awareness and acceptance is key for the success of proteins made via upcycling and according to Upcycled Food Association, 60% of consumers want to buy upcycled food products.

Climate Action

As consumers become increasingly aware of their food choices and how it impacts the environment, upcycled proteins have a critical role in providing more ethical choices, enabling manufacturers to accelerate toward carbon neutrality by 2050. Many manufacturers have already integrated upcycling into their production processes to reclaim valuable ingredients. They recognize the positive impact this can have on the environment, helping to reduce water, land, supply chain, and energy footprint compared to other proteins, benefiting the environment and providing economic advantages to manufacturers.

With the rise of new processing methods and AI, upcycling will flourish, generating new economic opportunities globally while further supporting the UN's SDGs for industry, innovation, and infrastructure.

Upcycling Proteins from various raw materials

The overall process is demonstrated in the above diagram. First, the raw material is received and then undergoes pre-treatment processes, which include cleaning or enzymatic/chemical/thermal treatment. This is followed by separation using centrifugation or decantation. Depending on the final protein content, the slurry will undergo microfiltration clarification and ultrafiltration for further concentration.

Upcycling Production Challenge
Solution
Advantages

Food manufacturers often hesitate to upcycle because of the significant financial investment needed to repurpose what is traditionally viewed as waste. Therefore, it's essential to find efficient and cost-effective ways to extract as much protein as possible from these byproducts. The quality and functionality of the recovered protein are vital for creating specialized protein ingredients, which can significantly increase the value of these resources.

Investing in the long-term benefits of upcycling proteins is crucial to stay competitive in this growing market. One approach to achieve this is by considering membrane filtration, which can ultimately increase return on investment (ROI) and provide economic advantages by reducing operating expenses (OPEX) due to decreased energy usage. Membranes are critical in eliminating unwanted components, such as anti-nutritional factors, off-flavor compounds, and non-protein macro constituents like fat, fiber, and sugars. This is essential for producing high-quality, functional, and nutrient-dense upcycled proteins. Additional purification through chromatography could also be implemented after this stage to obtain highly specialized proteins before evaporation and the final drying step.

Membralox® ceramic membranes have been proven on a large scale to provide one of the most efficient protein transmission, separation, and extraction systems for producing high-value, safe, and functional upcycled protein ingredients. Pall's Membralox® crossflow filtration systems are fully enclosed and automatized – meaning they are regularly cleaned and sanitized in place (with minimum manpower), thus operating at suitable temperatures to prevent any thermal denaturation of the product while maximizing separation performances. Their modular design allows any feed flow rate, generally at constant throughput, possibly in full continuous mode (24/7), and into sequencing batch processes. Membranes lifetime extends over years of continuous operation with consistent separation performances and capacity.

Membralox Ceramic membrane's advantages in the production of alternative proteins include:

Highly selective and scalable solutions with handling capacities up to several thousands to millions per unit per day
Clean-In-Place (CIP) that can handle extreme pH, chemicals and temperatures, ensuring a clean transition between the runs
Better long-term ROI
Environmentally sustainable
Recovery/extraction and separation of the different types of proteins (albumins Vs. globulins)
High protein purity and functionality with minimal to no protein denaturation
Lower OPEX due to lower usage of energy, water and carbon footprint. Membrane separation optimizes drying, reducing water and energy with shorter processing times

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