Single-cell protein from coconut meal

Project aims

The YarroPro project aims to address two key challenges in the plant-based meat sector: improving flavor and texture, and the need for improved nutrition. The primary goal is to develop novel, ‘hybrid’ alternative sausages that are both palatable and nutritious. This will be achieved by creating a sustainable, protein-rich biomass through Yarrowia lipolytica fermentation of spent coconut meal, an abundant byproduct from coconut oil processing. The project will optimize a lab-scale fermentation process to produce a yeast biomass that is not only rich in protein but also contains micronutrients. This biomass will then be incorporated into plant-based sausage formulations. The research will involve comprehensive nutritional profiling, in vitro digestion studies, and the application of extrusion techniques to create optimal product prototypes. Finally, sensory evaluation and consumer acceptability tests will be conducted in both the UK and the Philippines to ensure the final formulations meet consumer preferences.