Researchers Found A Way To Turn Wasted Bread Into New Food With Fermentation
The amount of bread wasted each year is shocking. Around 10 percent of the 185 million tons of bread baked worldwide is wasted each year.
Some of this waste happens in households, but the majority comes from supermarkets and commercial bakeries.
Much of the extra bread is still safe to eat, yet it cannot be sold and is thrown away. Recent research has suggested that these crusts can be turned into new kinds of food with fungal fermentation, a method that has been used to produce traditional Asian foods for thousands of years.
Wheat is one of the most consumed crops in the world, making up about 20 percent of the calories and proteins in our diets. It is vital for breads, cakes, cookies, biscuits, and crackers.
About 760 million tons of wheat flour are produced globally per year, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
A significant portion of it is used to bake bread. However, bread production, particularly wheat farming, has a negative impact on the environment.
Wheat farming, especially the use of fertilizers, contributes to 40 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with bread production.
In the new study, the researchers use solid-state fermentation to create plant-based proteins like tempeh and oncom from extra beans, legumes, and cereals. This technique is widely used in Asia.
The research team is also fermenting bread crusts alongside grass protein, which is normally used for feeding livestock.
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Grass protein is filled with nutrients, complementing the bread waste well. The result is an environmentally-friendly vegetarian alternative to protein that increases the nutritional value of surplus bread.
The discovery is a sustainable way to turn bread waste into a valuable food source, tackling issues like food waste and food security, both of which are expected to become more prevalent in the future.
By 2050, the global population is projected to be 9.7 billion and 11.2 billion by 2100, so this kind of approach will be necessary for feeding more people.
The fermentation process has the potential to cut down on the waste that is sent to landfills and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Keeping surplus bread and unconventional plant protein in the food chain supports a circular economy, which is a system designed to minimize waste and maximize the use of resources.
Currently, the researchers are working on scaling up the process to make it operational on a commercial level. By collaborating with industry partners, they hope to be able to create large facilities that can manage the vast amounts of bread waste being produced.
Further research will be aimed at refining the smell, taste, and texture of the final product, as well as making sure that the process is cost-effective. It just goes to show how fermentation can revolutionize the way we view bread waste.
You can read the study here.
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