Rahul Biswas

The global food system is facing increasing pressure from climate change, resource inadequacy, and the urgent need to transition toward more sustainable production pathways. As part of this transformation, it is essential to rethink how biomass and agro-resources are processed, not only to meet nutritional demands but also to minimize waste and environmental pressures. My research is driven by the challenge of developing novel and scalable food processing solutions that integrate into the broader food-energy-water nexus.

A key focus of my work is the design of a cereal-based biorefinery using whole grain oat, barley, and rye to produce value-added functional food ingredients as well as non-food bioproducts in a zero-waste framework. This approach draws on advanced and non-thermal technologies, including supercritical fluid/CO₂ extraction, ultrasound-assisted extraction, enzymatic hydrolysis, and fermentation to enable efficient fractionation and valorization.

Another important dimension of my research is the integration of sustainability assessments into process design. By combining multi-objective process modelling, optimization, simulation, and decision-support tools with techno-economic analysis (TEA) and life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate process feasibility and impact on critical aspects (environmental, economic, and social), I aim to evaluate both the performance and long-term viability of bioprocesses. In parallel, I explore strategies for resource recovery and the synergy of emerging extraction techniques to create functional and nutritional products with enhanced value, creating next-generation foods with added health and sustainability benefits.

Ultimately, my research aims to integrate technological innovation with circular economy principles, advancing food systems (e.g., plant-based innovations) that contribute to future-resilient and health-promoting food systems. A central goal is to enhance resource recovery, improve production efficiency, and strengthen the economic, social, and environmental viability of the agricultural landscape, thereby contributing to its sustainable transformation.

Particularly, the agricultural crops are produced at a greater rate in the Kymenlaakso region; however, this area faces hurdles with value-added processing and ecosystem growth since there are few medium-sized enterprises and inadequate producer networks (Kinno 2024). In order to address the limitations and turn the local sector into a significant food industry cluster, my research focuses on developing a resilience and zero-waste biorefinery model for whole grains into high-nutritious functional food ingredients.