Researchers at Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, have partnered with the University of Leeds in the UK to develop an AI powered tool designed to help repurpose agrifood waste and improve food security.
In Australia, more than seven million tonnes of food are wasted each year, representing around one third of all food produced.
The project will use fermentation to convert agrifood waste into high quality protein that can be used as an ingredient in food production.
Three sources of agrifood waste will be examined. These include damaged or unharvested vegetable crops, grain byproducts such as canola meal or brewer’s spent grain, and byproducts from cheese making.
The research team will develop an AI tool that calculates optimal fermentation conditions to produce microbial protein powder for human or animal consumption.
The aim is to produce upcycled protein at scale that can compete with conventional protein sources.
“Working with our colleagues internationally, this project will combine AI, fermentation science and real case studies to support industry to turn that waste into sustainable protein at scale,” said CSIRO project lead Dr Kai Knoerzer.
Fermentation has been used for thousands of years to preserve foods such as bread, cheese and wine.
“When fermented using yeast, for example, food waste can be transformed into valuable products within the framework of a circular bioeconomy,” Knoerzer said.
University of Leeds professor of artificial intelligence in food Dr Nicholas Watson said for upcycled protein to have an impact on food security, it needed to compete on price with existing products.
“We are excited to work with CSIRO and partners across the globe to bridge that gap, launching an AI platform to support the fermentation of agri-food waste,” Watson said.
Dr Amen Ra Mashariki, director of AI and data strategies at the Bezos Earth Fund, which is supporting the project, said the research demonstrated how AI could support environmental outcomes when guided by science and local knowledge.
The $3 million project will run for two years and is supported by the Bezos Earth Fund’s AI for Climate and Nature Grand Challenge, a $100 million initiative focused on using artificial intelligence to address climate change and biodiversity loss.