Hitit University is undertaking another new project within its area of specialization, "Machinery and Manufacturing Technologies."
The study aims to extend the shelf life of fresh and dried figs using a coating material produced from onion peels.
The project, titled "An Innovative Approach to Fig Preservation: Coating with Pullulan Containing Edible Quercetin," led by Prof. Dr. Bülent Kabak and researcher Dr. Gamze Nur Müjdeci from the Food Engineering Department of Hitit University's Faculty of Engineering, has been awarded funding by TÜBİTAK (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey).
The project plans to produce strategically important domestic quercetin and pullulan.
The production of quercetin, whose importance was highlighted particularly during the recent pandemic in the treatment of COVID-19, will be carried out using purple onion peels, a significant waste product of our country.
First Output of the Biotechnology Laboratory
The first output of the "biotechnology laboratory," established within the scope of our university's "Machine and Manufacturing Technologies" specialization, is a project to produce a coating material containing pullulan and quercetin.
The aim is to extend the shelf life of fresh and dried figs and to prevent the formation of mycotoxins, a significant threat to food safety in dried figs.
To Be Implemented Through University-Industry Collaboration
This project, which offers an innovative solution to both protect the prestige of our country, the world's leading fig exporter, and reduce economic losses, features Dr. Emrah Görmez from the fig exporter PiaFrucht as a researcher.
The project, which will be carried out with the support of Saraylım Tarım, a significant fruit and vegetable storage facility operating in the organized industrial zone of Çorum, will utilize the company's onion peel waste to increase its added value. Two doctoral scholarship recipients will also be supported within the scope of the project.
Project leader Prof. Dr. Bülent Kabak, a faculty member of the Engineering Faculty, stated that they aim to manufacture natural coating materials entirely with domestic production.
He added that the project, which will be carried out using waste onion peels, will provide added value to many areas, primarily food, health, and the economy, and that they are also working on new projects within the scope of the university's specialization.
