Enzymatic protein hydrolysis (EPH) is a biotechnological solution well-recognized as a central element of the circular bioeconomy mobilization in the food industry that can potentially transform food processing by-products to revenue streams. Collagen peptides are one of the potential high-end products that can be produced using EPH. However, in the traditional EPH process, collagen peptides either remain as insolubilized residues or they are extracted as minor constituents in complex crude hydrolysates. SPECtaCOLL aims at developing a novel and tuneable technology to tailor make collagen peptides from underutilized Norwegian agricultural and marine biomasses (i.e., poultry and salmon by-products). Moreover, the project is set to explore potential high-end application of the collagen peptides as ingredients in medical and food applications.
SPECtaCOLL aims at realizing the potential of collagen peptides through the following key and highly interconnected pillars:
1) Development of novel and tuneable EPH process for selectively tailor making collagen peptides without the need for elaborate down stream processing
2) Development and application of advanced bioanalytical tools for EPH process optimization and product characterization
3) Exploring the potential of application of collagen peptides derived from poultry and salmon by-products as functional ingredients in medical, food and skin health applications
SPECtaCOLL crosses value chains enabling synergies between the agricultural and marine sectors and combines advanced scientific competences in biotechnology, analytical chemistry, and medical sciences together with three industrial partners highly experienced in EPH. A successful implementation of results from SPECtaCOLL is expected to generate new scientific knowledge that can potentially set new standards and increase value creation of Norwegian agricultural and marine biomasses.
