A Green Process for Co-Extraction of Protein and Oil From Sustainable Sources
In Progress
Challenge
There is an increasing consumer desire for plant-based food products, driving the surge in demand for novel sustainable protein sources. The rapid growth in the plant-based market has spurred additional interest in developing and improving processing technologies to promote sustainable production of functional macronutrients.
Impact Goal
Develop a pilot scale green process for co-extracting protein and oil from hemp seeds without the use of flammable solvents to demonstrate its environmental and economic impact and incentivize the scaling of hemp production. Disseminate knowledge gained about the process to stakeholders to explore commercialization of the technology.
Partner Organization(s)
Project Leads
Department of Food Science and Nutrition
Department of Food Science and Nutrition
Scalability, Sustainability and Economic Feasibility of Hemp Protein
Increasing consumer desire for plant-based food products is driving the surge in the demand for novel protein sources. In fact, the plant protein market growth is projected to reach $19.2 billion by 2028 at a compound annual growth rate of 7.7 percent from 2023 to 2028.
Plant-based products can be produced with significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions and water usage when compared with animal products. Therefore, plant proteins offer a crucial solution to reduce the carbon footprint of our protein production system, while meeting global demand.
Hemp has emerged as an environmentally friendly crop with great potential for food ingredient production. In 2018, the Food and Drug Administration granted Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status for three commonly sold hemp seed-derived food ingredients: hulled hemp seed, hemp seed protein powder and hemp seed oil. Therefore, exploring various end-use applications for hemp oilseed could stimulate production on the land and significantly contribute to
Minnesota's hemp production efforts.
This project will evaluate a co-extraction process based on natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) to simultaneously extract oil and protein from hemp, assessing its scalability, sustainability and economic feasibility.
Project Goals
- Investigate the scalability of a NADES co-extraction process from a bench- to a pilot-scale to produce high-quality oil and protein ingredients, while collecting data for life cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis, in comparison to a conventional process
- Assess the effects of the NADES co-extraction process on the hemp protein structural, functional, nutritional and flavor properties in comparison with conventionally extracted hemp protein
- Disseminate the findings to stakeholders and explore potential pathways to commercialization that can contribute to sustainable solutions for food production in Minnesota
Meet the Project Team
Project Leads
Fernanda F. G. Dias
Project PI
Since 2024
Department of Food Science and Nutrition
College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
B. Pam Ismail
Project PI
Since 2024
Department of Food Science and Nutrition
College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
Additional Team Members
Project Status
Last Updated
Aug 19, 2026
Impact Location
Minnesota
Start Date
Expected Completion
Jun 30, 2027