It was just a couple of years ago that we heard how scientists had used soybean waste to produce a healthy (and supposedly tasty) probiotic drink. Now, they've done the same thing with unsold bread that would otherwise be discarded.
The research was led by Assoc. Prof. Liu Shao Quan, Dr. Toh Mingzhan and Miss Nguyen Thuy Linh, all from the National University of Singapore.
They started with commonly-available white sandwich bread, cutting it into small pieces and then blending those with water to create a slurry. That slurry was then pasteurized, after which probiotic bacteria and yeast were added.
After that mixture had been left to ferment in an incubator, what resulted was a creamy, sweet and slightly fizzy drink that could be stored at room temperature for up to six weeks. Even after that amount of time, it still contained at least one billion probiotic cells per serving, which the university states is the current recommendation by the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics for maximum gut health benefits.
No bread or other ingredients are wasted in the process, which takes about one day. And once it's made available to consumers, the drink could reportedly occupy a unique commercial niche.
"There is currently a lack of non-dairy probiotic food and beverage options in the market, so our refreshing and healthy new product will help to fill this gap," says Liu. "Our invention also enables bread makers to give their unsold products a new lease of life. We are confident that the bread-based probiotic beverage will have a strong appeal to those who are environmentally conscious."
Source: National University of Singapore
