Pennotec lead a consortium of technology providers with expertise in the areas of food production by-product processing, development of new food ingredients and food applications research. The consortium comprises of CyberColloids Ltd of Cork in Ireland, Bangor University’s BioComposites Centre and the Food Technology Centre at Coleg Menai in Llangefni.
The research has been funded by the Food & Drink Division of the Welsh Government and Innovate UK through the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) to help tackle the ever growing problem of Childhood Obesity in Wales through cost effective measures.
Our aim is to obtain, refine and test a potential raw material for the preparation of a functional food ingredient, where the raw material is a by-product of food and beverage manufacture that is available in multi-tonne quantities in Wales.
The team will specifically collect and preserve apple pomace from apple juice and cider production operations in Wales, and will prepare and evaluate the new food fibres for calorie replacement and fibre enhancement in school menu food items that are particularly enjoyed by children. The functional fibre products will be compared to other fibre products on the market to better understand the cost benefits and formulating challenges for a range of different school menu items, ranging from meat and gravy through to sponges and sauces. The consortium hope to work in collaboration with local companies to create fat-reduced products using the functional fibre to evaluate its performance as a successful fat replacement throughout the project.
The final objective of the team will be to trial and test produce containing this fibre ingredient with local school children – and their parents – through local events, shows and school-run trials. These trials will outline the sensory benefits of fat reduced produce with this clean alternative.
