Recovery for disposal at a suitable site is less attractive as fewer such sites exist and because of transportation costs. More efficient processes, i.e., source reduction technologies, particularly when combined with utilization of processing waste for the production of biopolymers, have been studied in our laboratories. The natural agents currently investigated in our laboratories, chitosan complexes with alginate, pectin or carrageenan. The recovered solids can be used as animal feed and if separated from chitosan used in food formulations. Chitosan is obtained from shellfish chitin and current U.S. food regulations do not allow its use in food formulations.
Functional foods are products that provide nutrition and improve health status.
Another area of interest is the application of natural biopolymers to the formulation of edible food coating and packaging materials as a means to respond to consumer interest in more environmentally friendly packaging. Among the proteins investigated is zein, a corn protein fraction, with excellent film forming properties. Working at high pressures is costly but can preserve foods without alterations to chemical bonds thus producing fresh-like foods. The optimization of processes cannot be attempted without an understanding of the effect of pressure at the cell and spore level. The exact mechanisms for these intracellular fluid losses are not known.