2409236
Project Grant
Overview
Grant Description
SBIR Phase I: Mushroom chitosan biorefinery and its application in food engineering.
The broader/commercial impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase 1 project is in significant reduction of fresh food waste by providing a clear, edible coating on fresh fruits and vegetables.
Food waste is a major issue worldwide.
In the United States, almost 40% of food is wasted each year, yet more than 54 million Americans are food insecure.
Globally, about 30% of food for human consumption is wasted, which equates to over a billion tons of food per year.
Food waste negatively impacts food insecurity, greenhouse gas emissions, water supplies, and economic losses.
Current fresh food preservation techniques are failing to rise to this challenge, and some techniques pollute the earth with packaging.
The proposed solution utilizes mushroom chitosan extracts as an edible coating to extend the shelf life of fresh foods, reduce food insecurity, and relax pressure on precious resources.
This project employs a specific mushroom species with high chitin content to create a clear, edible coating that can double the shelf life of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Further, this project creates a greener extraction process to replace conventional chitosan extraction, which will be both cheaper and more eco-friendly compared to conventional methods.
Successful mushroom-derived edible coatings will exhibit excellent antimicrobial and gas barrier properties, perform well on sensory consumer analyses, and be produced with green chemistry processes that offer cheaper, more sustainable, and scalable potential.
Performance will be compared to non-treated fresh foods as well as other competitive coatings where applicable.
The mushroom-based edible coating is a more sustainable alternative to many other edible coatings since the production of mushrooms does not compete with arable land, can be produced with a small fraction of the water, nitrogen, and energy inputs, and can contribute to circular bio-economy given that mushrooms are nature’s great recyclers.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Subawards are not planned for this award.
The broader/commercial impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase 1 project is in significant reduction of fresh food waste by providing a clear, edible coating on fresh fruits and vegetables.
Food waste is a major issue worldwide.
In the United States, almost 40% of food is wasted each year, yet more than 54 million Americans are food insecure.
Globally, about 30% of food for human consumption is wasted, which equates to over a billion tons of food per year.
Food waste negatively impacts food insecurity, greenhouse gas emissions, water supplies, and economic losses.
Current fresh food preservation techniques are failing to rise to this challenge, and some techniques pollute the earth with packaging.
The proposed solution utilizes mushroom chitosan extracts as an edible coating to extend the shelf life of fresh foods, reduce food insecurity, and relax pressure on precious resources.
This project employs a specific mushroom species with high chitin content to create a clear, edible coating that can double the shelf life of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Further, this project creates a greener extraction process to replace conventional chitosan extraction, which will be both cheaper and more eco-friendly compared to conventional methods.
Successful mushroom-derived edible coatings will exhibit excellent antimicrobial and gas barrier properties, perform well on sensory consumer analyses, and be produced with green chemistry processes that offer cheaper, more sustainable, and scalable potential.
Performance will be compared to non-treated fresh foods as well as other competitive coatings where applicable.
The mushroom-based edible coating is a more sustainable alternative to many other edible coatings since the production of mushrooms does not compete with arable land, can be produced with a small fraction of the water, nitrogen, and energy inputs, and can contribute to circular bio-economy given that mushrooms are nature’s great recyclers.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Subawards are not planned for this award.
Awardee
Funding Goals
THE GOAL OF THIS FUNDING OPPORTUNITY, "NSF SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR)/ SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (STTR) PROGRAMS PHASE I", IS IDENTIFIED IN THE LINK: HTTPS://WWW.NSF.GOV/PUBLICATIONS/PUB_SUMM.JSP?ODS_KEY=NSF23515
Grant Program (CFDA)
Awarding / Funding Agency
Place of Performance
Caledonia,
Mississippi
39740-1014
United States
Geographic Scope
Single Zip Code
Gulf Spore was awarded
Project Grant 2409236
worth $274,956
from National Science Foundation in August 2024 with work to be completed primarily in Caledonia Mississippi United States.
The grant
has a duration of 7 months and
was awarded through assistance program 47.084 NSF Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships.
The Project Grant was awarded through grant opportunity NSF Small Business Innovation Research / Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I Programs.
SBIR Details
Research Type
SBIR Phase I
Title
SBIR Phase I: Mushroom Chitosan Biorefinery and its Application in Food Engineering
Abstract
The broader/commercial impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase 1 project is in significant reduction of fresh food waste by providing a clear, edible coating on fresh fruits and vegetables. Food waste is a major issue worldwide. In the United States, almost 40% of food is wasted each year, yet more than 54 million Americans are food insecure. Globally, about 30% of food for human consumption is wasted, which equates to over a billion tons of food per year. Food waste negatively impacts food insecurity, greenhouse gas emissions, water supplies, and economic losses. Current fresh food preservation techniques are failing to rise to this challenge, and some techniques pollute the earth with packaging. The proposed solution utilizes mushroom chitosan extracts as an edible coating to extend the shelf life of fresh foods, reduce food insecurity, and relax pressure on precious resources.
This project employs a specific mushroom species with high chitin content to create a clear, edible coating that can double the shelf life of fresh fruits and vegetables. Further, this project creates a greener extraction process to replace conventional chitosan extraction, which will be both cheaper and more eco-friendly compared to conventional methods. Successful mushroom-derived edible coatings will exhibit excellent antimicrobial and gas barrier properties, perform well on sensory consumer analyses, and be produced with green chemistry processes that offer cheaper, more sustainable, and scalable potential. Performance will be compared to non-treated fresh foods as well as other competitive coatings where applicable. The mushroom-based edible coating is a more sustainable alternative to many other edible coatings since the production of mushrooms does not compete with arable land, can be produced with a small fraction of the water, nitrogen, and energy inputs, and can contribute to circular bio-economy given that mushrooms are nature’s great recyclers.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Topic Code
ET
Solicitation Number
NSF 23-515
Status
(Complete)
Last Modified 8/27/24
Period of Performance
8/15/24
Start Date
3/31/25
End Date
Funding Split
$275.0K
Federal Obligation
$0.0
Non-Federal Obligation
$275.0K
Total Obligated
Activity Timeline
Additional Detail
Award ID FAIN
2409236
SAI Number
None
Award ID URI
SAI EXEMPT
Awardee Classifications
Small Business
Awarding Office
491503 TRANSLATIONAL IMPACTS
Funding Office
491503 TRANSLATIONAL IMPACTS
Awardee UEI
RF4VM672R5M6
Awardee CAGE
9MNQ5
Performance District
MS-01
Senators
Roger Wicker
Cindy Hyde-Smith
Cindy Hyde-Smith
Modified: 8/27/24