NutriFerm

AI Quick Summary

What if Switzerland’s 100,000 tons of annual bread waste could be transformed into sustainable protein? By fermenting discarded bread with edible fungi, we can convert this unused resource into nutrient-rich food and feed—reducing waste, cutting emissions, and creating a circular bioeconomy. In Switzerland, approximately 100,000 tons of bread are wasted annually, with nearly half discarded by households and the rest lost in production, retail, and food services. This wastage poses significant economic, environmental, and social challenges: it squanders resources used in baking (water, energy, and labor), contributes to greenhouse gas emissions from decomposing organic waste, and highlights inefficiencies in food distribution. Additionally, Switzerland’s high bread consumption per capita (around 50 kg/year) exacerbates the issue, as surplus and stale bread often end up in landfills rather than being repurposed into alternative products like animal feed, biofuels, or upcycled ingredients. Efforts to reduce waste face hurdles, including consumer habits, strict food safety regulations, and logistical barriers in redistribution networks.To address this challenge, our project aims to transform bread waste into high-value protein through solid-state fermentation (SSF). By breaking down starch and fibers in stale bread, these microorganisms can efficiently convert waste into nutrient-rich fungal biomass for use in food supplements, drinks or even sustainable meat alternatives.

Project Idea Metadata

• Project Idea Name: NutriFerm
• Date: 4/8/2025 6:43:28 AM
• Administrators:

Project Idea Description

In Switzerland, approximately 100,000 tons of bread are wasted annually, with nearly half discarded by households and the rest lost in production, retail, and food services. This wastage poses significant economic, environmental, and social challenges: it squanders resources used in baking (water, energy, and labor), contributes to greenhouse gas emissions from decomposing organic waste, and highlights inefficiencies in food distribution. Additionally, Switzerland’s high bread consumption per capita (around 50 kg/year) exacerbates the issue, as surplus and stale bread often end up in landfills rather than being repurposed into alternative products like animal feed, biofuels, or upcycled ingredients. Efforts to reduce waste face hurdles, including consumer habits, strict food safety regulations, and logistical barriers in redistribution networks.

To address this challenge, our project aims to transform bread waste into high-value protein through solid-state fermentation (SSF). By breaking down starch and fibers in stale bread, these microorganisms can efficiently convert waste into nutrient-rich fungal biomass for use in food supplements, drinks or even sustainable meat alternatives.

What if Switzerland’s 100,000 tons of annual bread waste could be transformed into sustainable protein? By fermenting discarded bread with edible fungi, we can convert this unused resource into nutrient-rich food and feed—reducing waste, cutting emissions, and creating a circular bioeconomy.