Project "Pão de centeio de Trás-os-Montes fortificado com proteínas do soro de leite" Wins Promove - Ideas 2024 Award

The project "Pão de centeio de Trás-os-Montes fortificado com proteínas do soro de leite" (PI24-00016) has won the Promove - Ideas 2024 prize, awarded by the "la Caixa" Foundation and the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT). The winning team, which will receive a prize of €5,000, includes researcher Carla Gonçalves, a member of CITAB, as well as undergraduate, masters, and doctoral students in the fields of Nutritional Sciences, Food Engineering, and Animal Sciences, respectively. The diversity of the proposing teams was one of the valued factors during the merit assessment phase of the applications.

The main outcome of this initiative is the development of Rye Bread from Trás-os-Montes, enriched with whey proteins, which addresses the challenges of the baking industry's dependence on imported cereals. This project promotes local rye production and highlights the need to reduce food waste from whey, a by-product of the dairy industry. With an expected duration of 12 months, this project not only creates a nutritionally enriched food product but also strengthens the sustainability of the dairy industry. It also contributes to the economic and cultural development of the region through a circular economy ideology.