Sustainable sorghum waxes for oleogel applications

Overview

Sustainable sorghum waxes present a novel and environmentally friendly alternative for oleogel applications, specifically in chocolate spreads. Sorghum, a drought-tolerant and widely produced cereal, contains high wax content in its bran layer, which can be extracted from bioethanol production byproducts. These waxes are proposed to replace carnauba wax, addressing sustainability issues and contributing to a circular bioeconomy by utilizing underutilized side-streams.

Technical specifications

Key features:

• Derived from the high wax content in sorghum bran, a byproduct of bioethanol production
• High melting point enhances stability in oleogels
• Potential to reduce saturated fat content in chocolate spreads
• Designed to follow a controlled heating-cooling cycle for oleogel formation
• Evaluated for rheology, texture, color, morphology, and oxidative stability in chocolate spreads

Technology readiness level

Currently at TRL 3, this technology has been validated through pilot data demonstrating the high melting point and stability properties of sorghum waxes obtained from bioethanol lipid slurry. Future plans include scaling up manufacturing and further validation in confectionery applications.