Overview

Edible bird’s nest (EBN) is a valuable commodity of Malaysia for its health benefits and export value. It is perceived as a priced product due to the complexity and laborious cleaning process to remove impurities embedded in the bird’s nest. Despite its perceived value, the labor-intensive cleaning process yields substantial waste, predominantly feathers with glycoproteins. Research efforts focus on recovering EBN glycopeptides from this waste through enzymatic hydrolysis.

Findings suggest the feasibility of EBN by-products as functional ingredients, potentially enriching the EBN industry with cost-effective, high-quality hydrolysates. This innovative approach not only addresses waste management concerns but also opens avenues for enhancing EBN product offerings.

Speaker

Chang Lee Sin, Lecturer, UCSI University

Dr Chang Lee Sin received her PhD from Universiti Putra Malaysia, specialised in food biotechnology especially in the aspect of powder characterisation and enzyme technology. She started her service at the Department of Food Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia UKM in 2019 as a postdoctoral researcher, focusing on food chemistry related research projects, particularly proteolytic fermentation and the utilisation of edible bird’s nest (EBN) processing by-product and sea cucumber processing by-product. Interestingly, the team led by Assoc Prof Dr Lim Seng Joe (supervisor) has developed patented technology to recover high-value sialic acid from the EBN processing by-products, which is beneficial to EBN industry to transform the waste into secondary/functional product. She joined UCSI University Malaysia in 2022 as a lecturer. She continues to be actively involved in various research projects exploring food processing, fermentation technology, and food chemistry. She is dedicated to publishing articles in renowned journals indexed in InCites Journal Citation Reports and holds intellectual property rights. Additionally, she contributes to the scientific community by reviewing manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals, receiving Recognition of Reviewing and Outstanding Contribution in Reviewing from Elsevier.

Meanwhile, she participated in various competitions related to research and innovation and won in the Invention, Research, and Innovation Exhibition (PRPI) and the Crown Prince CIPTA Award 2021 (Creative, Innovative Product, and Technological Advancement, CIPTA). With a passion for innovation and a strong sense of community, Dr Chang actively engages with professional organizations and contributes to the broader scientific community. She is an active member of the Malaysian Institute of Food Technology (MIFT), Malaysian Society for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (MSMBB), and Innovation Centre for Confectionery Technology (MANIS), etc.

Dr Chang remains committed to her pursuit of knowledge and innovation in food science. With dedication, she continues to contribute to the scientific community, striving to make a positive impact through her research and academic journey.

The material presented in this webinar has not been peer-reviewed. Any opinions are the presenter's own and do not necessarily represent those of IChemE or the Food & Drink Special Interest Group. The information is given in good faith but without any liability on the part of IChemE.

Webinar recording