Valorization of polysaccharides and oligosaccharides from food waste

Supervisors: Prof. Nadia Innocente

Project description:
Food waste is generated throughout the various stages of the food life cycle, including agricultural production, industrial manufacturing, processing, and distribution. The food manufacturing industry experiences losses of up to 39%, while the food service sector sees losses of about 14%, and distribution accounts for approximately 5% of food waste (Kumar et al., 2017). It is estimated that annually in the world food waste amounts to about 1.3 billion tons, approximately one-third of the total production of food intended for human consumption (FAO, 2011). If no prevention policies or activities are implemented, this number is bound to grow further. Addressing these challenges requires the establishment and uniform implementation of technologies and strategies rooted in the circular economy. These measures aim to achieve zero-waste human living by effectively harnessing the value of waste (Sarangi et al., 2023).
A significant portion, around 40%, of the total waste generated by the food industry comes from the production of fruits and vegetables, including drinks and other processed products (Chockchaisawasdee & Stathopoulos, 2022). The chemical composition of these residues depends on several factors such as plant sources, varieties, production methods, and process parameters. These residues contain valuable components, which might be extracted and reused as functional ingredients in food products (Kumar et al., 2017).
Olive stones are a significant byproduct of the olive oil extraction industry. They are mostly composed of hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin, along with trace amounts of protein, fat, phenols, free sugars, and polyols. Activated carbon, furfural manufacturing, plastic fillers, abrasives, and cosmetics, as well as biosorbents, animal feed, and resin formation, have all been mentioned as potential applications of this waste (Rodríguez et al., 2008). However, their application in the food sector is still rather unexplored.
Considering this context, this PhD project aims to characterize olive stones from the oil industry and use them as new functional ingredients for food products.

Biography and contacts:
Trevisiol Francesca, born in 1999 in Pieve din Cadore (Italy).
In 2021 she graduated in Food Science and Technology at the University of Udine (110/110).
In 2023 she obtained an MSc degree in Food Science and Technology at the University of Udine (110/110 cum laude).
In November 2023, she started the doctoral course at the Ph.D. school “Food Science” at the University of Udine

trevisiol.francesca@spes.uniud.it
Phone: +39 0432 558125