Food Technology

One research focus of our group lies on technologies to improve the utilization of natural resources within the overall food supply chain.
The main focus is on the valorisation of by-product streams of the food industry by means of the application of fermentation technology together with functional microbial cultures. This contributes to the development of systems with closed material cycles as well as to an upgrade of by-products into food products with higher nutritional values. The research work includes the analysis and development of tailor-made processes, like adapted pre-treatments, extraction of bioactive substances, or biochemical conversions, to increase the nutrient contents and to lower the contents of undesired substances. Procedures to optimize physical and sensorial properties as well as the storage stability of the food products are included in our work.

Another focus of our research activities is related to the quality of pastries and other bakery products such as sponge cake or Danish pastry. Especially the influence of lipid components, e.g. phospholipids and oils, on the properties of the baked goods is of interest. For this purpose, the interactions between the lipids in the dough mass on one side and the remaining main components of the matrix, such as carbohydrates, proteins and water, on the other side are investigated. A pilot-scale technical centre fully equipped with the necessary machinery for the product preparation and analysis of their main properties is used to generate novel knowledge, which can be easily transferred into practical results.