REFINES aims to establish a molecular-level understanding of off-flavors in protein-rich plant side-streams, with a focus on potatoes, and to identify novel microbial enzymes capable of selectively removing these undesirable compounds. Together, these insights will equip food producers with the knowledge and tools necessary to transform plant-based protein side-streams into high-value, consumer-ready alternatives to animal-based protein.
Today, there are many food-grade plant-based side-streams with a high protein content, an example is the potato protein from the starch production. Despite the fact that the protein is already approved for human consumption and offers excellent nutritional value and functional properties as a food ingredient, it is difficult to sell for human consumption due to off-flavors. Currently, the industry lacks fundamental knowledge about the identity, formation, and removal of these off-flavors, hindering the development of this protein side-stream into a viable food ingredient.
The REFINES project will identify and map the prevalence of known and novel off-flavor molecules across various potato cultivars. AU FOOD will then track the development of off-flavor profiles during potato processing and investigate the mechanisms responsible for their formation in protein-rich side-streams. Simultaneously, a robot-assisted screening platform will be developed to identify fungal enzymes capable of degrading off-flavors in these side-streams. The platform will allow us to screen 2,500 fungal isolates from the DTU strain collection, aiming to discover new classes of enzymes that can degrade or transform off-flavor molecules. The selected enzymes will be heterologously expressed, purified, and characterized under process-relevant conditions.
The REFINES project will bridge critical knowledge gaps regarding the nature, origin, prevalence, and formation of off-flavors during the processing of plant biomasses. It will establish a foundational understanding of off-flavor compounds in plant-based materials and expand the known families of enzymes capable of degrading these compounds.
The methods and technological platforms developed during the project will be available for continued use and further innovation after its completion. Key findings will be shared through open-access, peer-reviewed publications. Off-flavor profiles as a function of potato cultivar and processing conditions will be made available via the GNPS database. Additionally, the design specifications for the new robotics workflow will be accessible on www.DALSA.DTU.dk, and the outcome of the enzymatic screening activity via DTU fungal strain collection (https://dtu.bio-aware.com/).
The four-member consortium comprises the Technical University of Denmark (Associate Prof. Rasmus JN Frandsen), Aarhus University (Prof. Trine Kastrup Dalsgaard), and Europe’s two largest potato starch producers, KMC and Avebe. Together, the consortium combines expertise in analytical chemistry, biomass processing, plant-derived off-flavors, high-throughput robotics, machine-learning-based data analysis, mycology, enzymology, and biotechnology.
We are actively seeking additional industrial partners—interested parties are encouraged to contact the project PI.