Scientists in Germany are researching ways to revolutionise the chemical industry by replacing petroleum-based raw materials with sustainable proteins from rapeseed oil waste.
The Freising-based Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging’s TeFuProt project aims to counteract the scarcity and long-term price increase of fossil fuels by using food waste for industrial applications.
The processing of rapeseed oil, widely used in food production, results in protein-rich by-products known as rapeseed meal and press-cake.
“Up until now, this residue has been used mainly as a foodstuff in livestock farming but this usage is limited because of the bitter substances contained,” said Andreas Fetzer, scientist at the Fraunhofer Institute.