Prebiotic fibers for high-value food ingredients
Project period: April 7th 2025 to June 30th 2026
For this project DTI has received 486k DKK in funding.
In line with Denmark’s green research strategy and the principles of circular economy and cascading use of biomass, this project aims to explore the potential of agro-industrial side streams as feedstocks for the innovative production of nutraceutical ingredients.
The project addresses the growing global demand for sustainable and functional food ingredients by focusing on the development of prebiotic dietary fibers (oligosaccharides). Prebiotic fibers are non-digestible components that selectively stimulate beneficial gut bacteria, leading to improved digestion, enhanced immune function, and a potentially reduced risk of diseases—including colorectal cancer, inflammatory bowel diseases, and even neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s. With increasing resource scarcity worldwide, there is a need to create greater value from agricultural by-products, thereby supporting the transition to a circular economy.
The project is structured around two main work packages (WPs):
- WP1 focuses on optimizing hydrolysis and extraction methods, comparing enzymatic and autohydrolysis approaches to maximize yield, purity, and process efficiency, all while minimizing energy use and environmental impacts.
- WP2 targets purification and characterization, using membrane filtration technologies to obtain high-purity oligosaccharides. The functional properties of these prebiotics will then be tested in vitro to examine digestibility, their ability to promote the growth of beneficial microbiota, and the production of short-chain fatty acids, which are known to support gut health.
The goal for DTI Bioresources is to strengthen and expand our network for the cascading valorization of agro-industrial side streams. Extraction and purification of carbohydrate fractions, testing their prebiotic effects through fermentation, and developing cutting-edge enzymatic methods for converting side streams into value-added food and feed ingredients all closely align with our core strategic commercial and R&D focus areas.
The project builds on the SUPRECARB Eurostars project running in parallel, where life cycle analysis and testing of functional properties of the developed food ingredients are conducted in collaboration with Food Technology.
Read more about SUPRECARB here.