Issue 02/2016

From Science and Research
is edible. There are better uses for
it than extracting HMF.” This is not
the case for chicory roots. “Until
now, they were waste.”
The challenge: storage and
quality of the roots
The project poses a challenge:
“The root is only of interest for
the industry if we can guarantee
permanent quality,” explains Prof.
Kruse.
To this end, the technical
chemist cooperates with the
plant scientist Judit Pfenning
from the Department of General
Crop Farming. “In general, the
conditions are very good,” explains
Pfenning, “because the consumer
who wants to eat the chicory
also has very high and consistent
quality expectations. That is why
only roots of very high quality are
transferred from the fields into
the commercial growing rooms
operating with water-forcing
techniques.”
Another research aspect: How
the roots can be stored without
going bad. The problem is that
chicory is a seasonal business.
However, suppliers of the chemical
industry want permanent
deliveries in order to be able to
constantly use their plants.
“This project can only be carried
out through interdisciplinary
cooperation,” emphasize the
scientists. One the one hand the
project includes quality control,
growing trials, and storage
experiments, and on the other
hand laboratory experiments and
conversion technology. MT
www.uni-hohenheim.de
Fig. 2: Chicory waste can be used as a source for different plastics,
e. g. nylon or PEF for bottles (Photo: Univ. Hohenheim)
Fig. 3: Chicory is harvested from special growing rooms.
(Source: Wikipedia/slick)
bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/16] Vol. 11 41