Development of the post-harvest yam productive chain: manufacturing of high-value-added ingredients

• Grant number: 23/15624-1
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Start date: November 01, 2024
• End date: July 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Technology
• Principal Investigator: Maria Cristina Ferrari
• Grantee: Maria Cristina Ferrari
• Company: 53.048.801 MARIA CRISTINA FERRARI
• CNAE: Moagem e fabricação de produtos de origem vegetal não especificados anteriormente ; Fabricação de produtos de panificação ; Fabricação de produtos alimentícios não especificados anteriormente
• City: Campinas
• Associated researchers: Eduardo Vicente
• Associated scholarship(s): 24/18410-5 - Development of the post-harvest yama production chain: manufacture of high added value ingredients, BP.PIPE

Abstract

Despite its great socioeconomic importance in poor countries, yam cultivation has not fully utilized its potential due to the lack of scientific knowledge regarding its composition, processability and properties. Unlike cassava, in Brazil there is no developed yam processing chain and, as a result, a considerable part of production is lost due to the only form of commercialization (in natura). It is an excellent food source, but perishable due to the high moisture content (70 to 80%), composed mainly of carbohydrates, contains proteins, lipids, vitamins and minerals. It is a food of high nutritional quality, easy digestibility and has medicinal properties (bioactive compounds or phytochemicals), beneficial to health. They have the potential to be used as sources of flour and starch in various industrial applications (baked products, health products, those catering to the celiac public, etc.) with the advantage over cereals because they contain larger amounts of resistant starch, which acts as fiber as it is not digestible. They are gluten-free and can replace wheat in certain food applications to reduce the incidence of celiac disease or other allergic reactions to gluten. The food industry is looking for alternatives for developing products aligned with the concepts of healthiness, sustainability, quality and sensoriality. Within these macrotrends, consumer behavior has contributed to the increase in demand for "gluten free" and "clean label" products and it is estimated that in 2023 the global market for gluten-free products will reach US$6.47 billion. Wheat production in Brazil is not sufficient to meet the domestic bakery market and alternatives that meet this demand include the use of unconventional flours. Flour and starch are products obtained by grinding the edible part of vegetables, which may or may not undergo prior processing and are appropriate to the type of product to be extracted. The drying process is one of the oldest and most efficient preservation methods used to ensure food safety, as it reduces moisture content, avoiding the risk of microorganism growth, minimizing spoilage reactions, with the advantage of substantially reducing weight and volume. . Transforming fresh yams into starch or flour remains a viable alternative to reduce post-harvest production losses, avoid waste, increase shelf life, adding value to the product. Based on the Brazilian agricultural potential and the studies of my doctoral thesis "Study of Amazonian yams of the genus Dioscorea ssp (Dioscorea trífida L) aiming to obtain food products with greater added value", where promising results were obtained in relation to nutritional use and potential technological, the aim of this project is to: a) Study in the laboratory the main variables in the processing of obtaining starches and yam flours (genus Dioscorea ssp), which guarantee yield, low operational costs, in addition to the physical-chemical characteristics in the final product required by the market. The study will be complemented by the calculation of investment in three different industrial installation capacities and an economic pre-feasibility analysis; b) Develop applications that use the ingredients for the internal and/or external market in segments that are still little explored and underserved (baking, health care line including vegans, vegetarians, celiacs). For commercial production, the imagined arrangements, if the project proves viable, would be, depending on the analysis: a) transfer the technology through a value sharing contract (remuneration through payment of royalties) with yam producer cooperatives and/ or b) transfer the technology to an engineering company and/or equipment and/or product manufacturer and/or c) outsource production and commercialize the products. (AU)