Optimizing plant-based meat production with LiveKindly Collective
JADS collaborated with LiveKindly Collective to tackle a key challenge in the production of plant-based meat alternatives. This partnership, part of the Engineering Doctorate (EngD) program, focused on optimizing the extrusion process—a critical step in achieving high-quality, consistent plant-based meat. EngD candidate Roya Sadeghimehr applied advanced data science techniques to uncover actionable insights that enhanced production outcomes.
The Challenge
LiveKindly Collective faced significant variability in water uptake during the extrusion process, even when using identical extruders and consistent settings. Water uptake is a crucial quality attribute, directly influencing the texture and juiciness of plant-based meat alternatives. Achieving a consistent water uptake of more than 40% was essential to maintain high product standards.
Despite extensive efforts, variability persisted across production runs, impacting product quality and consistency. To address this, LiveKindly partnered with JADS and EngD candidate Roya Sadeghimehr to systematically analyze and improve the extrusion process using data science.
What Roya Did
Roya developed and implemented a comprehensive data science pipeline to validate extrusion process data, measure water uptake, and analyze how extrusion variables influence the final product. Key activities included:
- Data Validation: Roya ensured the reliability of the data collected through LiveKindly’s SCADA system, identifying and correcting inaccuracies.
- Data Collection: She designed a strategy to measure water uptake during production processes, overcoming data limitations.
- Statistical and Machine Learning Analysis: Roya used methods like Lasso regression and decision trees to identify critical extrusion parameters, such as barrel temperature profiles, cooling die temperature, screw speed, and soy-to-water ratios.
- Actionable Insights: Her analysis revealed that optimizing variables like smoother barrel temperature transitions, higher cooling flows, and specific soy-to-water ratios significantly improved water uptake and overall product quality.
The Result
Roya’s work led to actionable recommendations for optimizing extrusion variables, enhancing process consistency and achieving higher water uptake in plant-based meat. LiveKindly Collective gained a deeper understanding of their extrusion process, enabling them to make data-driven improvements.
Her findings have laid the groundwork for further research and refinement, ensuring more consistent production of high-quality plant-based meat. This successful collaboration underscores the value of data science in solving complex industrial challenges.
So knowledgeable, resilient, and collaborative
So knowledgeable, resilient, and collaborative
“Congratulations Roya Sadeghimehr; it was an absolute pleasure to work with you. So knowledgeable, resilient, and collaborative. The doors are open at LiveKindly Collective to keep exploring the future of our food system together.”
This project strengthened my technical skills to handle complex, data-driven challenges
This project strengthened my technical skills to handle complex, data-driven challenges
“This project strengthened my technical skills to handle complex, data-driven challenges in real-world production environments. It was exciting to identify insights that significantly improved process consistency and contributed to better-quality plant-based meat analogs.”
Why partner up with JADS
JADS provides innovative data science programs at undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate level, conducts cutting edge data science research and offers great business opportunities with a continually growing ecosystem. From startups to SMEs and large corporates, our business partners gain access to talent, high level knowledge and business opportunities.
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