Divya Aggarwal
Project Title
Innovative Approaches to Valorise Oats Processing Side Streams
Biography
Divya is a master’s graduate in food technology from CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysuru, Karnataka, a highly renowned and prestigious food research institute in India. Furthermore, she has over 2 years of an industrial experience in confectionery manufacturing, specializing in instrumentation, fat blend optimization and troubleshooting, dairy ingredients assessment, and leading sensory evaluation.
Her keen interest in sustainable food innovations drives her to work on the valorization of oats processing side streams and by-products. Oats are well-suited for organic production since they have a low carbon footprint and hence, encouraged to contribute towards sustainable biodiversity and achieving a circular economy. This tends to be the first project to close the loop in the oat food chain from farm to health. Divya aims to valorize oat milling waste to generate new value streams utilizing novel and sustainable extraction technologies such as ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), enzyme-assisted and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE). The integration of the techniques will allow optimization providing high yields within short processing times. Furthermore, her research is beneficial in tackling the waste generated at the industrial level, fostering opportunities for the development of new products, and generating valuable sources of income in a sustainable manner. During this project, Divya will be able to use her skills and knowledge, based on past research experiences, and contribute to the development of sustainable innovations in the food processing sector.
Teagasc email: divya.aggarwal@teagasc.ie
University email:20114489@mail.wit.ie
Teagasc Research Programme : Food Programme
Teagasc Research Location Ashtown
University: South East Technological University
Teagasc Supervisor: Dr. Brijesh Tiwari
University Supervisor:Dr. Shikha Ojha
Funder: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM)