The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University has identified a potential new use for vegetable scraps.
An innovation from the institution has used ultrasound technology to extract leaf protein from discarded cauliflower leaves – a process that could help food manufacturers turn vegetable waste into protein ingredients, reducing waste and adding value to existing crops as a result.
RMIT’s research found that high-power ultrasound increased dry matter yield and improved protein recovery from the leaves, while different processing settings changed the final concentrate’s particle size, colour, solubility and structure.
“Ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to disrupt plant cell walls and help release protein from the leaves,” said Professor Asgar Farahnaky, lead researcher at RMIT’s School of Science.
“There is growing interest in alternative protein sources, and using existing waste streams could be a practical way to meet the demand without requiring additional production.”
Cauliflower leaves are abundant but often discarded during processing, despite containing protein and dietary fibre. The resulting leaf protein concentrate could have future food and animal feed applications.
Farahnaky said the team used cauliflower leaves from a commercial farm in western Melbourne to test different ways of processing the waste to see how much protein they could recover.
He added that further work was needed to test the process at pilot scale, assess energy efficiency and evaluate sensory acceptability in food products.
Kinjal Furia, study lead author and RMIT PhD candidate, emphasised that research was about adding value to what was already in the system.
“If we can use food waste streams more effectively, we can reduce environmental impacts while responding to growing interest in alternative protein sources,” she said.
More information about the research can be found here.
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