A University of Auckland team is asking a big question: can the fruit pulp and skins left over from making juice and wine be turned into sustainable new foods?

Led by Professor of Food Science Siew-Young Quek, the researchers have received $3 million over three years from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment to explore the idea.

Every year in New Zealand, around 100,000 tonnes of fruit byproducts end up in landfill, adding to greenhouse gases and water pollution.

Quek’s team wants to use this waste to grow bacterial cellulose that can be shaped into food ingredients with added nutrition.

“It’s about creating food that’s better for people and better for the planet,” says Quek, who also directs the Future Food Research Centre.

The project also links with researchers in Singapore, who are developing new vegetarian products from mushroom mycelium, and Massey University scientists and engineers.

Consumer testing will be led by the University’s Business School to see how people respond to the new products.

While the work is still in the lab, Quek says the foods won’t contain synthetic additives and could carry real health benefits.

The team is already working with industry to make sure the discoveries can be commercialised.

One day, Hibiscus Coast shoppers might see the results of this work on their own supermarket shelves

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