Project description
Insect-derived dairy alternative
Milk allergies, lactose intolerance, and concerns over calories limit dairy consumption, while plant-based alternatives often lack key nutrients like calcium and can have off-flavours. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the SHELLACRAFT project will create low-calorie, allergen-free milk and yoghurt alternatives using shellac – a natural, biodegradable resin from lac insects. Thanks to its unique properties, including the ability to form calcium-rich microspheres, shellac serves as a sustainable base combined with coconut oil and xanthan gum. The project develops dehydrated powders that reconstitute into nutritious, tasty products. Rigorous testing will ensure safety, digestibility, and flavour quality. SHELLACRAFT aims to deliver innovative, sustainable dairy alternatives that cater to diverse dietary needs while promoting future scientific collaboration.
Objective
Cow milk allergy, lactose intolerance, calorie intake concern, and soy allergy, presence of unpleasant off-flavors and lack of essential nutrients such as calcium all hinder the consumption of dairy products and plant-based dairy alternatives, respectively. Therefore, in the project, a novel concept of the creation of low-calorie alternatives (milk, yogurt mimic products) additionally fortified with sustainable plant-based bioactives and minerals will be ambitiously pursued by using a natural polymer shellac. Shellac is a sustainable food source, a biodegradable resin obtained from the secretion of lac insects (Kerria Lacca), being recognized as a safe food additive by the FDA. The distinguishing factors of shellac are: lipophilicity, surface activity, self-assembling properties, supramolecular interaction ability. What is more, it is also non-allergic and it can also form calcium–shellac microsphere; hence it is a promising starting material for the preparation of an allergen-free non-dairy milk alternative at low cost. To meet the low-calorie and bioactive-fortified goals, formulation and production of non-dairy milk and yogurt will be achieved by shellac as a main ingredient in combination with virgin coconut oil and xanthan gum. Appropriate drying technology will be used to form easy-to-apply powders that will serve as a base for the production of low-calorie dairy alternatives that will be preserved in the form of dehydrated products. The reconstituted products will be examined for physical and chemical properties, toxicity, organoleptic, digestibility, and bioaccessibility studies including new aspects of process contaminants determination (safety issue). This study provides new insight into the characterisation of new products and will aid in extending the scientific network for future collaboration. The SHELLACRAFT aims to develop a sustainable and allergen-free dairy-plant alternative platform for products that will meet various consumer demands.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- agricultural sciences animal and dairy science dairy
- natural sciences chemical sciences inorganic chemistry alkaline earth metals
- natural sciences chemical sciences polymer sciences
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine allergology
- natural sciences biological sciences zoology entomology
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Programme(s)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
50-375 Wrocaw
Poland
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