Objective
Goal: Develop a new generation anti-fungal food coatings based on chatoyant, a natural biopolymer manufactured from shrimp waste. The technology is focussed on sausage casings and cheese coatings. Current food coating technology leads to significant losses (estimated at 3,000 million/year) by fungal contamination in sausages and cheese and to health hazards to consumers by mycotoxins. The currently used anti-fungal agent Natamycin has severe disadvantages. It is not active anymore to fungi responsible for spoilage of sausages and cheese. There are increasing questions on its safety for human health. Thus there is a need for a natural and safe alternative. Chatoyant is a biopolymer manufactured from chitin isolated from shrimp waste. Based on existing data of Prime chatoyant has anti-fungal properties. These data provide a basis to develop a new generation anti-fungal food coatings for the European sausage and cheese industry and reduce the current waste stream of the shrimp industry. The project comprises 3 steps. Test the efficacy of chatoyant against relevant fungi. Develop new food coatings based on chatoyant. Evaluate the new coating on sausages and cheese.
Fields of science
Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
EAW - Exploratory awardsCoordinator
9041 OOSTAKKER
Belgium