A Novel Solvent-free Approach for Production of Bean Protein Fractions

The fast-growing market demand for food products with high nutritional qualities requires innovative and sustainable technologies. The proposed process employs an electrostatic technique to selectively charge proteins, carbohydrates, fibers, and other components in the bean flour and separate them based on the magnitude and type of their charge. The proposed methodology produces protein-rich flour from beans without using solvents or chemicals which significantly reduces the capital and operating costs. It preserves the bio-functionality of the protein, and averts the likelihood of toxic microbial contamination common in currently used wet processes. This proposal aims to build on the knowledge garnered in the previous proof-of-concept project, funded by Mitacs Accelerate. Motivated by the promising preliminary results, the industrial partner, Advanced CERT Canada, is willing to conduct process optimization, fine-tuning, and scale-up studies to move towards designing and evaluating a pilotscale (dry) protein extraction plant.

Faculty Supervisor:

Dr. Raymond Legge

Student:

Mousa Jafari

Partner:

Advanced CERT Canada

Discipline:

Engineering - chemical / biological

Sector:

Chemicals

University:

University of Waterloo