CyberColloids has a particular interest in finding innovative or value added uses for different raw materials & by-products from food processing. This includes the development of innovative processing methodologies and products with targeted functionality and/or health & wellness application.
We have worked on a wide range of interesting biomass resources from fruits, vegetables, cereals, seeds and also seaweed. The primary aim being to add value to otherwise undervalued or underutilised resources and to reduce waste in food supply chains. For an overview of this research click here.
Functionalising fibres
Plant derived biomasses are a complex mixture of many potentially valuable components but of specific interest to CyberColloids are the soluble and insoluble fibres such as cellulose and pectin that have texture functionality. Over the years we have developed a toolbox of processing techniques that can be used to promote the texture functionality of these components in situ to produce food fibres with improved water binding or gelling properties. We have applied this thinking to a wide range of interesting biomass resources from across the globe.
We have worked on a wide range of biomass sources
Plant based proteins
The plant based protein sector has undergone substantial changes in recent years in response to the demand for new and improved protein ingredients. Through our day to day work and participation in collaborative research projects we worked with a range of different proteins derived from vegetables, pulses, seeds and oilseed cakes.
Research challenges that we typically face centre around finding sustainable and efficient ways to extract/process new and existing proteins; developing a better understanding of how new proteins can be used to replace and/or complement existing proteins and finding new ways to formulate for optimal nutritional and technical functionality.
Creating texture in plant-based foods is a hot topic