TÜBİTAK 1001 Support to Our Faculty Member in the Field of Food Technology

ITU Department of Food Engineering faculty member Dr. Gülay Özkan’s project, which aims to obtain value-added products in the field of food technology by using agricultural wastes and local resources, was entitled to support under TÜBİTAK 1001 in the 1st period of 2024. The project team also includes Prof. Dr. Funda Karbancıoğlu Güler and Res. Asst. Dilara Devecioğlu.

Istanbul Technical University (ITU) continues to reinforce its pioneering role in engineering and technology with the projects prepared by its faculty members. The project which has ITU Faculty of Chemical-Metallurgical Engineering, Department of Food Engineering faculty member Dr. Gülay Özkan as its principal investigator and Prof. Dr. Funda Karbancıoğlu Güler and Res. Asst. Dilara Devecioğlu in its project team was deemed worthy of support within the scope of TÜBİTAK 1001.

Growing interest in edible food packaging

Assist. Prof. Dr. Gülay Özkan’s project titled “Production, Characterization and Food Applications of Edible Film Containing Bioactive Peptide Obtained from Agricultural Waste/By-Products and Probiotic Yeast Isolated from Local Sources”, prepared within the Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Research Support Group (TOVAG), won support among the “2024 1st period projects that were resubmitted without waiting for the next period”.

Our faculty member Dr. Gülay Özkan emphasized that edible film technology, which aims to both extend the shelf life and preserve the quality characteristics of food products, has been developing rapidly in recent years and that consumers’ demands for sustainability and natural content are effective in this.

The project aims to use bioactive peptides obtained from agricultural waste in the production of edible films. The enrichment of these films with probiotic yeasts isolated from local sources is another notable innovation in the project. Probiotic yeasts in edible films are expected to have a positive effect on the immune system of consumers.

The project will be supported for 24 months within the scope of TÜBİTAK 1001 Scientific and Technological Research Projects Funding Program. In the project, Asst. Prof. Dr. Gülay Özkan will carry out peptide and edible film studies, whereas Prof. Dr. Funda Karbancıoğlu Güler and Res. Asst. Dilara Devecioğlu will conduct the microbiology part.

We congratulate our faculty members for their success.

About the project

The project, which is related to the Innovative, Sustainable Food Packaging Technologies priority area, aims to obtain bioactive peptides after applying different methods to defatted seed pulps. It is planned to combine the selected pulps to provide all essential amino acids, to perform the fermentation with lactic acid bacteria isolated from local sources and having proteolytic activity, to purify the obtained bioactive peptides and to produce edible films with probiotic yeasts isolated from local sources.

It is planned to apply the edible films to be obtained on fresh and dried fruits to define the sensory properties of these products, to examine the changes that will occur in their physical, nutritional and microbiological quality criteria during storage, and to determine the changes in the bioactive properties of the products coated with edible films before and after digestion, thus making significant contributions to the literature.

In line with Türkiye’s Zero Waste project, economic gain will be achieved by ensuring efficient utilization of waste. In addition, an approach in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 12 “Responsible Consumption and Production”, will be taken for efficient use of resources and reduction of waste.