Innovative bioeconomic ways to reduce okara waste in soybean food products

梅拉开发了一系列全纤维大豆加工厂，这些工厂（移动的加工系统）使用全大豆、水和能源生产大豆饮料。问题是，尽管Mera集团开发了这种特殊的加工设备，但他们没有能力评估其创新的含有奥卡拉的大豆饮料中所含的重要营养因素，这些大豆饮料具有高营养和功能性。奥卡拉（大豆浆）是来自大豆饮料工业的具有高膳食纤维的副产品/剩余物，其主要用作动物饲料或用于在田地中处置，这造成了显著的环境问题并且给大豆饮料生产商带来处置/管理成本。奥卡拉可用作满足加拿大市场需求和机会的食品中的生物经济/生物产品成分。我们将使用该加工系统产生的梅拉产品（大豆饮料）在卡尔顿大学进行这项研究。该项目旨在通过以下方式解决产品开发和生物经济主题的研究重点：1）使用Mera现有技术在新型大豆酸奶和开菲尔（发酵饮料）配方中使用奥卡拉进行产品开发; 2）测量营养质量; 3）评估产品功能性，包括抗氧化活性; 4）流变学研究粘度和质地特性。这一挑战可以通过Mera集团和我在卡尔顿大学的团队（法拉侯赛尼安）之间的密切长期合作来解决。这一提议将帮助梅拉利用现有的新型食品加工设备提高其大豆饮料产品的质量。

Mera has developed a series of full-fiber soybean processing plants that (mobile processing systems) that uses whole soybeans, water and energy to produce soy beverages. The problem is that although Mera Group has developed this exceptional processing device, they do not have the capability to evaluate important nutritional factors contained in their innovative soy beverage containing okara, high in nutrients and functionality. Okara (soy pulp) is a byproduct/leftover from the soy beverage industry with high dietary fibre, mostly used as animal feed or for disposal onto fields, posing a significant environmental issue and imposing disposal/management costs on soy beverage producers. Okara can be used as a bioeconomic/bioproduct ingredient in food meeting Canadian market demands and opportunities. We will use Mera's products (soy beverage) generated by this processing system to carry out this research at Carleton University. This project aims to address the research priorities on product development and bioeconomic themes by: 1) product development using okara in novel soy-yogurt and kefir (fermented beverage) formulations using Mera's existing technology; 2) measure nutritional quality; 3) evaluate product functionality including antioxidant activity; and 4) rheological study viscosity and texture characteristics. This challenge can be addressed in a close long-term partnership between Mera group and my team (Farah Hosseinian) at Carleton University. This proposal will help Mera to improve the quality of their soybean beverages products, using their existing novel food processing devices.