Rajeev Bhat, Ph.D.

Professor

ERA Chair - Food (By) Products Valorisation Technologies (VALORTECH)

Email: rajeev.bhat@emu.ee

Phone: +372 53560789 and +372 7313927

Overview of presentation

Vision & Mission Action plan (2019-2023) Research focus area/concepts Curriculum development

VALORTECH

Project name: ERA-Chair for Food (By-) Products Valorisation Technologies of the Estonian University of Life Sciences

Grant amount: Euro 2,498,625.00 Project number: 810630 Funding agency: Horizon 2020 ERA Chair

SupportWebpage:

https://www.emu.ee/en/research/project-valortech/

Vision & Mission of the Chair

Expanding the existing knowledge database in theregion, providing dynamic leadership, enhance globalvisibility, build cutting-edge novel innovative technologies

&finally aim to brand ERA-Chair in VALORTECH & theUniversity as a premier hub of higher research & education.

Main Team Members

Rajeev Bhat, PhDERA Chair Professor

Ivi Jõudu, PhDProject coordinator

Piia PääsoProject coordinator

Valortech Council Members

Ülle Jaakma

Head of Council

Vice-Rector for Research

Toomas Tiirats

Director of Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences

Aret Vooremäe

Director of Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

Rajeev Bhat

ERA-Chair Professor

Ivi Jõudu

Projectcoordinator

Piia Pääso

Project coordinator

Valortech teamSustainable Food Production Group

Food Science & Technology Group

Food Chemistry Group

Vacant Reelika Rätsep

Vacant Sana Ben Othman

Minaxi Sharma SHEHZAD HUSSAIN

Alice AavDoctoral candidates in

Valortech:

Viive Sarv

Katrin Jõgi

Kristi Kerner

Dunja Malenica

Action plan – up to June 2023

AP1Recruiting

researchers+ networking+

team building+ SWOT analysis(Up to June 2019)

AP2

Exploratory training/

workshops(knowledge and

skills sharing)(Continuous process

until December 2022)

AP3

Research &

innovation activities

(Continuous process up to December

2022)

AP4

Attracting new talent to the field

(Curriculum development-

Masters & PhD, programme, job opportunities)

(before December 2022)

AP5Fostering policy

development(enhancing higher educational and research policies

based on the local demands)

(before December 2022)

AP6Facilitating knowledge transfer to

industry(Smart Specialization

Strategies/green technology)

(Continuous process)

Action Plan 3 Research Activities & Research Directions

Main Research Focus of Valortech:

Innovative approaches to effectively use

agri-food wastes & by-products

(+ Underutilized local food crops)

Waste to wealth or Zero waste

concept(reduce wastes by

effective technologies)Interdisciplinary

research activities: (everything from

farm to table) Utilizing novel food processing techniques for ensuring 100% quality & safety

Future:

Nutraceuticals, Cosmetics,

Pharmaceuticals, Food & Feeds

Food Security & Sustainable food

production;

Zero wastes &Income generation

Overall focus:Nutritional &

functional quality, Bioactive

compounds, & Health impacts

By-products & wastes(Fruits,

Vegetables, Dairy Industry,

etc)

Technological applications

(novel processing

techniques like UVC, SCo2, Ozone,etc) Food industry

application(natural

colorants, flavoring agent, bioplastic, etc)

Publications, patenting, technology

transfer

Novel products development (food & feed)

Cosmetics(Sunscreen, lotion, soaps)

Pharmaceutical uses(antimicrobial,

antioxidant, anti-diabetics,

anti-cholesterol, etc)

Timeline

Action plan (R &D activities)

Methodology Important milestones

June 2019 to June2020

Data set 1:

Optimization of technologies:

WP1: Processing and drying technologies: Local agriculture based food raw materials/products will be identified to produce less waste & by-product.

WP2: Optimization of extraction process.

WP3: Minimal processing (quality and safety).

(i)Preliminary screeningfor potential value added compounds(ii) Application of appropriate processing technologies (enzymes, Ultrasound, Super critical Co2, Solvent extraction, etc). (iii) Drying techniques (IR, freeze drying, spray drying, vacuum drying to produce flour/powder).

Identify the best processing technique to minimize waste/by products (optimization for maximal recovery of bioactive compounds)

Identifying potential food & pharmaceutical industrial applications of bioactive compounds

Optimizing best extraction method of food processing technique/s for recovery of bioactive compounds

Publications (review articles, book chapters, conference, etc)

Timeline

Action plan(R &D activities)

Methodology Important milestones

July 2020 to April 2022

Data set 2:Isolation, characterization & recovery of bioactive compounds from wastes/by-products & underutilized resources (plant and animal origin, rejects, etc)

WP1: Bioactivity measurement (local fruits & vegetables, wild berries, mushroom, lignin, pectin, seed fats, etc)

WP2: Upstream and downstream bioprocessing techniques will be adopted (green processing & Bioprospecting)

(i) Composition (proximate analysis, essential minerals, vitamins and fatty acids)

&(ii) Activities(antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-diabetic, anti-cancer properties) by using in vitro assays (UV–vis Spectrometry, HPLC, LC-MS, GC MS) and in vivo experiments (in mice/rat models or feeding trials)

(iii) Techniques (solid state fermentation) for higher recovery of bioactive compounds

(iv) Waste water screening?

Cosmetics development(sunscreen lotion, moisturising creams, soap)-preliminary expt.

Dietary capsules

Encapsulation of essential oils (PUFA or MUFA) and bioactive compounds,Flavouring compounds and natural colorants.

Publications ( journal articles, conference papers, etc)

Timeline

Action plan (R & D activities)

Methodology Importantmilestones

April 2022toDec. 2022

Data set 3:WP1: Value addition by developing novel healthy food products (creating preliminary database)

WP2: Feeds(for ruminant & aquatic feed) (creating preliminary database)

WP3: Bioplastics from bio-wastes

(i) Developing fortified healthy foods and feed(energy bars, low calorie cookies, probiotic drinks, beverages, etc), feed (e.g. aquatic foods, pet foods).(ii) Proximate composition, dietary fibre analysis, Flavouring compounds, Antioxidant compounds (polyphenols, flavonoids, DPPH radical inhibition)(iii) Microbial and Sensory quality evaluation (hedonic scale) and shelf life studies will be performed.

New product development & food fortification

Commercialization and technology transfer (Patenting?)

Publications ( journal articles, conference papers, etc)

Final Report (Dec 2022 to June 2023)

Curriculum Development

3 new specialty modules to be developed:

(i) Food Science & Technology Speciality Module: as part of the Veterinary Medicine & Food Science (PhD curriculum)

(ii) Speciality Module of Valorisation of Raw Material of Plant Origin as part of the Food Technology Masters (Curriculum taught in in Estonian)

(iii) Speciality Module of Valorisation of Raw Material of Plant Origin forming part of the Food Technology Masters(Curriculum taught in English)

Curriculum will be developed in collaboration with Kaunas University of Technology and Latvia University of Agriculture.

Securing Sustainability of the ERA Chair Provide best leadership to the R & D sector, Development of new laboratory facilities & infrastructure, Employing best staff, training students, Designing research themes, collaborations, communication

& networking with stakeholders and in research with long term positive goals & finally,

Contributing to the green university initiative/mission.

Suggestions for improvement..………?

Reduce, Reuse, Recover……………