King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) has developed an innovative technology that converts spoiled food waste into high-value commercial products, advancing the Kingdom’s commitment to environmental sustainability and promoting a circular economy.
KAUST Professor Pascal Saikaly explained the new technology repurposes expired dairy and fruit beverages into valuable chemical products, which can be used in animal feed, aviation fuel, and pharmaceuticals. He emphasized that expired food should not be seen as waste, but as a valuable resource with significant economic potential.
Saikaly noted that the research team, which includes Assistant Professor at Nanjing University in China Dr. Bin Bian, Research Scientist Dr. Hari Ananda Rao, and Senior Research Scientist Dr. Krishna Katuri, worked to develop this biotechnology that relies on transforming the waste into short-chain carboxylic acids (SCCAs) and medium-chain carboxylic acids (MCCAs), which are used in various industrial fields such as the production of polymers, cosmetics and soaps.
He explained that SCCAs have a market value of approximately $300 per ton, while MCCAs are worth nearly 10 times that amount. He added that the technology has demonstrated its effectiveness in converting waste into valuable economic resources without the need for external chemical additives.
The university has launched a pilot study to implement the technology in collaboration with several dairy and beverage companies in the Kingdom, which supply the laboratory with more than 500 liters of waste each week for experimental use.
Saikaly further noted that the research team has discovered a method for extracting casein protein from the waste, a valuable component that can be used in the production of fish and poultry feed, helping to reduce production costs and strengthen national food security.
The extracted casein is expected to serve as a promising resource for the aquaculture and poultry industries, particularly since feed represents about 70% of the sector expenses, in large part because so much is imported by the Kingdom.
