PARAGON FLAVORS, INC. — Department of Agriculture SBIR Phase I: 8.5

Description

The goal of this project is to assess the viability of 'precision sprouting' to create nutritionallydense sustainability enhanced consumer friendly food ingredients. Acid thinned starchesmaltodextrins and syrup solids are commonly used ingredients within packaged food products suchas breakfast cereals instant sauces and snacks. However these highly refined starch hydrosylatesglobally worth $10B are intensively produced and offer little nutritional value.Sprouting is a traditional technology that makes use of the enzymatic processes involved in seedgermination. Sprouting is commonly used to create flours for baking and brewing substrates.Sprouted wholegrain rice is known to provide several nutritional benefits including fiber enhancedmineral bioavailability antioxidant activity polyphenols gamma amino butyric acid (GABA) andvitamin E. Moreover it is a process that generates less food waste and has a lower carbon footprintthat conventional starch derivatives.The use of precision sprouting to create wholesome alternatives for oligomeric starch hydrosylateshas significant potential. This project aims to map the process spaces related to rice germination &grain mashing. The work will measure and model how process temperature time humidity andshear translate to the expression and activity of endogenous enzymes and the subsequentnutritional composition and functional properties. The data model will be used to optimize processparameters to create proof of concept alternatives to oligomeric starch hydrosylates theperformance of which will be assessed in food applications.This project has the potential to positively impact the nutrition sustainability and consumer appealof packaged foods.