The BIOPAN project (Bio-preservation of new bakery products with improved nutritional characteristics through the use of agricultural by-products and unconventional plant substrates) aims to develop biotechnological solutions for obtaining long-life breads with an improved nutritional profile, thanks to the combined use of:
(i) new antimicrobial activity formulations obtained from plant matrices;
(ii) by-products of milling and alternative plant substrates of high nutritional quality;
(iii) starter micro-organisms selected for their antimicrobial activity and their ability to improve the nutritional/functional profile of the loaves.
In addition to replacing the common preservatives currently used in bakeries (propionate, sorbate and benzoate and ethanol), the use of new plant ingredients and selected starters improved the nutritional/functional profile of the finished products. The digestibility of new developed breads and their effects on the human gut ecosystem was also assessed, in-vitro, by using the Simulator of Human Intestinal Microbial Ecosystem (SHIME).

The achievement of the planned objectives is in accordance with the current demands of the modern consumer, who demands quality products, natural and minimally treated, and who is increasingly sensitive to the environmental impact caused by food waste.

Principal Investigator: Raffaella Di Cagno - Faculty of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences
Project Duration: 01/04/2020 – 30/09/2023
Project Partners: Valle Fiorita Catering Srl (Lead Partner), Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro