Product development of side-stream press cake through fermentation

Sammanfattning: People in the EU are increasingly turning towards eating more plant-based foods with a lower climate impact than meat and dairy products. The subsequent increase in the production of plant-based products has resulted in large volumes of side-stream press cake, which up until now has mainly been used for animal fodder. The aim of this project was to develop a safe food product for human consumption, made through fermentation of Swedish oat and fava bean press cakes. To achieve this, the microbial safety of the raw press cakes was analysed, and different methods of fermentation with both lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and Rhizopus oligosporus were investigated. The fermented press cake was assessed according to different evaluation criteria and microbial analysis. The finished product was an oat press cake tempeh that is safe for human consumption. This product could be sold as a healthy, protein and fibre rich alternative to meat. The possibility of transforming a low value by-product into a high value food product would also be profitable for plant-based companies, and lead to a great reduction of waste in the whole industry.