CD Laboratory for Innovative Bran Biorefinery

Bran as an important by-product of the milling industry is at the centre of research interest. In particular, the pulping process of bran is being investigated as the key to obtaining basic substances, intermediate and end products. This will open up new areas of application and utilisation of bran.

Bran has a high content of valuable ingredients such as carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, minerals and plant phenols and is used to a certain extent as a food and animal feed additive. Other areas of application have not yet proved successful or have not been sufficiently developed. By using the latest process technology, an innovative bran biorefinery concept is being developed which opens up new areas of utilisation.

Firstly, special attention is paid to the targeted pre-treatment of bran, which involves both state-of-the-art milling technology and extraction technology. For example, partial fractions and ingredients that are valuable as food ingredients can be obtained. In a further step, various extraction and synthesis processes are optimised in order to produce a wide range of basic substances, intermediate and end products whose potential use opens up new, innovative perspectives in the food and animal feed industry.

The bran biorefinery concept will make it possible to produce specifically refined products and ingredients for the food and animal feed industry. Furthermore, the possibilities of how bran can be used to generate energy for the milling industry by utilising residual streams are being investigated in more detail.

The creation of such a concept is made possible by the combination of basic and applied research. Scientists and partners from a wide range of fields will work together on an interdisciplinary basis.