Creativity against food waste

Packaging made from coffee residue, mushroom powder to preserve fruit longer, a new “ice” that remains intact both cold and hot… Jean Buzby, the new head of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) , presented promising projects at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science last month in Denver.

(Denver) Germs on potatoes

In some fields, potatoes are more resistant to black spots caused by fungi. Biologists from the University of Idaho therefore analyzed hundreds of bacteria present in the soil and identified two that protect potatoes from these fungi. They now prepare a liquid solution of these two microbes, which is sprayed on the potatoes before storage. Losses during storage, which are approximately 7.5% per year, are reduced by 10% to 30%. “The most commonly used preservatives for storage are still made from hydrocarbons and pathogens are increasingly resistant to them,” said Ms.^me Buzby.

Mushrooms on cut fruit

The tail end of mushrooms is often cut off before cooking. But when they are harvested, another piece of tail is also cut off. These “mushroom tail” residues are rich in vitamin D. The Californian firm Monterey Mushrooms is preparing to market a powder made from these residues, as an alternative to vitamin D supplements in pills. This powder, which has antimicrobial properties, can also be sprinkled on fruit bars and cut fruits to help them stay fresh longer. “And there is no taste,” assures M^me Buzby.

Jelly ice cubes

Among the soy residue used by the food industry, researchers at the University of California at Davis have identified a remarkable protein: it makes it possible to produce gelatin that remains intact in both cold and hot temperatures. With this gelatin, they designed a “jelly ice cream” which can replace an ice cube or an ice pack (ice pack), while having antimicrobial properties. In the freezer or at room temperature, the material does not change shape. Unlike ice packs, which contain a toxic liquid, this new gelatin can be composted at the end of its useful life, after around fifteen cold-hot cycles.

Packaging made from plant residues

Egg cartons have been made from plant residues for decades. But the extension to other types of packaging, and especially the use of residues other than wood, has made significant progress in recent years. “ We are now talking about residues from coffee, vines, cereals and fruits and vegetables which are used to make packaging after the harvest, says M^me Buzby. And we can now make smoother and even hydrophobic packaging. »

Freeze at constant volume

Could a freezing method used to preserve human organs for transplants revolutionize the frozen food market? Researchers at the University of Berkeley think so and M^me Buzby agrees with them. “Isochoric” freezing consists of increasing the pressure in the freezing chamber as the temperature is lowered. This helps avoid very low temperatures, below -20 ^oC, used in current processes for very rapid freezing of foods in factories, the famous deep freezing. Isochoric freezing would allow the use of cooler, therefore less energy-intensive, freezers in warehouses, and less damage to food when stored in supermarket and home freezers.