NSF Convergence Accelerator Track J: Dairy Protein Product Research and Innovation Hub

预计到2050年，世界人口将达到100亿。人类面临的一个关键挑战是对营养密集型食品的需求日益增长，这些食品具有更长的保质期和气候弹性，以到达世界上受极端天气条件、地缘政治动荡和大规模移民影响最严重的地区。牛奶营养丰富，含有维生素和矿物质、脂肪和蛋白质，用于生产一系列产品，从婴儿到老年人，全世界所有年龄段的人都能广泛消费这些产品。然而，目前的乳制品生产方法速度有限，使用过时的加工方法，在监测蛋白质完整性、分离科学和喷雾干燥蛋白粉方面存在严重的效率缺陷。该项目将解决目前阻碍采用最先进技术解决方案的知识鸿沟，为实施智能传感和先进制造技术制定路线图，旨在为消费者高效生产高价值产品，解决国内和全球一级的营养安全问题。该项目团队的受使用启发的方法面向农民和农村社区、乳制品加工商以及含有乳蛋白粉成分的食品的消费者。奶制品是爱达荷州农业经济的最大组成部分，主要由农村县的农民和加工商推动，在这个美国增长最快的州，服务不足的少数民族人口正在快速增长。该项目将通过土地赠与大学推广计划、与乳制品营销和传播组织(Dary West)的合作伙伴关系，以及致力于为学生进入乳制品加工职业生涯的培训和劳动力发展管道的组织，为这些服务不足的少数群体提供教育计划和劳动力发展。包括垂直整合项目课程和建立乳业赞助项目在内的大学项目为学生提供必要的培训，使他们能够在爱达荷州和美国农村社区的高薪、符合福利条件的职位上就业。这一融合加速器的目标是通过融合人工智能、化学计量传感和先进制造工具来实现乳制品加工行业的现代化，以实现货架稳定、营养密集型蛋白粉产品生产的变革性效率、质量和数量的增长。为了实现这一融合目标，已经组建了一支在食品和乳制品化学、计算机科学/人工智能、微生物学、流变学、食品加工工程和食品加工技术方面拥有卓越资历、经验和知识的学术研究人员和行业利益相关者团队。具体成果包括：(1)开发基于人工智能的化学计量学解决方案，以自动化使用近红外光谱对加工过程中牛奶中的蛋白质进行实时分析，以提高乳制品质量和减少浪费；(2)实施和优化先进制造的操作条件，将脉冲电场和挤出机设备引入乳制品设施，以提高加工效率、产品质量、减少浪费、节约能源和扩大产能；以及(3)融合科学、工程学、计算机科学、食品科学、营养学、奶业、供应链管理和劳动力培训，为儿童早期发展、青少年和成人营养以及老年护理开发创新的蛋白质产品，这些产品货架稳定，营养密集，对全球市场有影响。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The world population is expected to reach 10 billion by 2050. A critical challenge facing humanity is growing demand for nutrient-dense foods with longer shelf-life and climate resilience to reach regions of the world most impacted by extreme weather conditions, geopolitical turmoil, and mass migration. Milk is nutrient-dense, containing vitamins and minerals, fat, and protein content used to produce a range of products that are widely consumed across the world by people of all ages, from infants to seniors. However, current dairy product manufacturing methods are rate limited, and use outdated processing practices that suffer from critical efficiency shortcomings in monitoring protein integrity, separation science, and spray drying of protein powders. This project will address the knowledge gap currently preventing adoption of state-of-the-art technological solutions by creating a roadmap for the implementation of intelligent sensing and advanced manufacturing technologies aimed at efficient production of high-value products for consumers that address nutrition security at a domestic and global level. The project team’s use-inspired approach targets farmers and rural communities, dairy processors, and consumers of food products containing dairy protein powder ingredients. Dairy is the single largest component of the Idaho agricultural economy, being driven predominantly by farmers and processors in rural counties, where underserved minority populations are increasing at a rapid rate in a state that is among the fastest growing in the United States. This project will focus on educational programs and workforce development for these underserved minority populations through land grant university extension outreach programs, partnership with dairy marketing and communication organizations (Dairy West), and organizations dedicated to the training and workforce development pipeline for students to careers in dairy processing (BUILD Dairy). University programs including the Vertically Integrated Project curriculum and BUILD Dairy-sponsored projects, offer students training essential for their employment in high-paying, benefit-eligible positions in rural communities throughout Idaho and the United States.The goal of this Convergence Accelerator is to modernize the dairy processing industry by fusing artificial intelligence, chemometric sensing, and advanced manufacturing tools to achieve transformative efficiency, quality, and quantity gains in the production of shelf-stable, nutrient-dense, protein powder products. To achieve this convergence goal, a team of academic researchers and industry stakeholders with exceptional credentials, experience, and knowledge in food and dairy chemistry, computer science/artificial intelligence, microbiology, rheology, food process engineering, and food process technology has been assembled. The specific deliverables are: (1) Develop artificial intelligence-based chemometric solutions to automate the use of near-infrared spectroscopy for the real-time analysis of proteins in milk during processing to improve the quality of dairy products and reduce waste; (2) Implement and optimize operating conditions for advanced manufacturing pulsed electric field and extruder equipment into dairy facilities to improve processing efficiency, product quality, reduce waste, conserve energy, and expand capacity; and (3) Converge sciences, engineering, computer science, food science, nutrition, dairy farming, supply chain management, and workforce training to develop innovative protein products for early childhood development, adolescent and adult nutrition, and senior care that are shelf-stable, nutrient-dense, and impactful to a global market.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.