Industrial development for fermented jackfruit seed flour with chocolate aroma

• Grant number: 19/08730-4
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Duration: February 01, 2020 - January 31, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Technology
• Principal Investigator: Carla de Freitas Munhoz
• Grantee: Carla de Freitas Munhoz
• Host Company: Fruturos Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento de Produtos Alimentícios Ltda
• CNAE: Moagem e fabricação de produtos de origem vegetal não especificados anteriormente ; Fabricação de produtos alimentícios não especificados anteriormente
• City: Piracicaba
• Associated researchers: Amanda Cristina Marabesi ; Solange Guidolin Canniatti Brazaca
• Associated scholarship(s): 20/02148-9 - Industrial development for fermented jackfruit seed flour with chocolate aroma., BP.TT; 20/02503-3 - Industrial development for fermented jackfruit seed flour with chocolate aroma, BP.PIPE

Abstract

Fruturos is a start-up preinstalled at ESALQTec (Technology Business Base of "Luiz de Queiroz" School of Agriculture of the University of São Paulo). At present, the Brazilian cocoa production does not meet its internal market for this reason Brazil has become importer of cocoa. Thus, there is a good opportunity to develop competitive and alternatives products to cocoa substitutes. The seeds of jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.) with hard pulp are used as aromatic chocolate substitute. According to previous research by Fruturos for developing this chocolate aroma is necessary applied fermentation and roasting in jackfruit seeds. Therefore, the present research aims to improve and standardize the fermentative process from the jackfruit hard seeds by using a commercial fermenter in order to decrease the time and improve this process, working with microorganisms usually present in the cocoa fermentation. The standard jackfruit seeds flour with chocolate aroma can be used in food and make-up as a substitute for chocolate aroma. Briefly, jackfruit is a large fruit native to India with pulp and comestible seeds. In Brazil, jackfruits have small market and so many parts of this fruit are considered a by-product. Therefore, jackfruit has a great potential for technological development to innovative products. From this research will be done several fermentative experimental lots, using a blend of starter microorganisms yeasts cultures (Kluyveromyces marxianus and Saccharomyces cerevisiae). These microorganisms besides accelerating the fermentative process they organize the production of aroma compounds. During the fermentation will be evaluated and adjusted: pH, brix, ethanol, lactic, and acetic acids. The fermented seeds will be dried, roasted and milled to obtain the flour. The flour will be evaluated according to: solubility, wettability, color, pH, and volatile compounds. The development of jackfruit seeds flour is a scientific and technical challenge to be overcome, because it is an innovative and unprecedented cocoa substitute. Therefore, there are steps to be improved and optimized to make it viable. The development and the production of fermented and roasted jackfruit flour aims to serve the cocoa substitutes market, which is a great commercial and business opportunity. Potential customers are companies that need to use natural chocolate aroma in food and make-up products, so the product to be developed has wide application. In addition, the jackfruit seeds, which are considered a natural waste, have a considerable nutritional potential. It is hopped, with the development of this innovative product, to enable Fruturos to meet the demands and positioning itself in this promising market of cocoa substitutes. Also, Fruturos is specialized in food science and will develop, in a timely manner, a portfolio of innovative products. (AU)