He The CIRCFOOD project aims to research and develop ways to recover waste and by-products of plant origin generated in Navarre, to reuse them in the food chain. The aim is to generate value-added products (fibers, antioxidants, proteins and other food ingredients) that can become more sustainable raw materials for the sector, in addition to providing functional and nutritional properties to food products.
The Waste recovery is a complex process which is confronted with many difficulties of an economic and technical nature. Therefore, the project is based on a collaborative approach that promotes the connection and participatory collaboration of local entities with complementary activities and capacities and with various synergies that support and promote the transition to the circular economy of the agri-food sector of the Foral community.
Healthy food and ingredients
The results achieved by the CNTA and AIN Technology Centers (both affiliated to the Spanish Federation of Technology Centers (Fedit) due to their membership of ADItech), together with the companies Urzante, Harivenasa, IAN, Ingredalia, Isanatur and Nucaps, in this project Research and Development , funded by the Government of Navarre, show that this is possible reuse of raw materials that are usually thrown away to obtain functional, healthy, nutritionally and organoleptically attractive ingredients and foods.
Valuing common by-products of the agri-food industry to reintroduce them into the value chain is one of several ways that currently exist to combating food wasteone of the major challenges facing both the industry and consumers.
In the context of CIRCFOOD projectfunded by the Government of Navarra in its call for strategic R&D projects 2022 within the ALPES challenge, this path has borne fruit with real examples developed by the companies Urzante, Harivenasa, IAN, Ingredalia, Isanatur and Nucaps, together with the CNTA and AIN Technology Centers (both affiliated with Fedit through their membership of ADItech).
In concrete terms, they have achieved that successfully revalued six normally discarded resources and take advantage of this to develop functional, healthy and attractive ingredients and foods for their nutritional and organoleptic properties. The work carried out within the framework of the project focused on the valorization of by-products of plant origin generated in Navarre.
In concrete terms, the Urzante company has managed to optimize its extraction process of a compound rich in polyphenols from alperujo, a by-product of the oil industry. Moreover, it has been possible to record it as natural antioxidant in seed oils used for frying food. The results are promising because they extend the life of the oils and improve their technological properties.
In the case of Harivenasa it has been possible to obtain an antioxidant extract rich in phenolic compounds from oat hulls. The extract shows promising results as a functional ingredient in studies in vivo of C. elegansthereby extending the life expectancy of nematodes on average and inhibiting cellular oxidation under conditions of oxidative stress. On the other hand, minimally processed peel has been introduced into the formulation of high fiber pasta, yielding favorable results in nutritional and sensory analyses.
This Navarrese company also generates another byproduct that has been worked on: oat bran. In the context of CIRCFOOD, it has been used directly as an ingredient for the development of bread, muffins and prepared dishes such as vegetable cream with good nutritional results (gluten-free muffins and low sugar content) and sensory. It has also been used as a fermentation substrate prior to conditioning through hydrolysis processes for the production of SCO (Single cell oil), allowing the growth of oil-producing yeasts.
From Ingredalia’s broccoli by-product it has been possible to obtain a concentrated protein extract (with a percentage greater than 60%), which is suitable for the development of products with alternative proteins to those of animal originthus opening the door for its introduction into future formulations.
In the case of Grupo IAN Tomato by-products created during the production process were used to make frying sauces, with good results in terms of sensory characteristics obtained during a tasting with professional technicians.
There is also the work carried out in collaboration with Isanatur, which had already obtained an extract from olive by-products. On the one hand, its direct use as a pasta ingredient has been implemented and good organoleptic results were achieved in tastings with professional panels. On the other hand, its functional characteristics have been evaluated C. elegans, pending final results.
Finally, it is also worth highlighting Nucaps’ role in the project. The Navarrese company has developed and optimized new techniques encapsulation of proteins and other biopolymerssuccessfully encapsulating extracts rich in polyphenols from the different sources used (alperujo, oats and dried olive pulp).
These innovations allow the generation of prototypes with greater thermal stability, better dispersibility in oil and effective maintenance of the antioxidant capacity of bioactive compounds. Moreover, the foundation has been laid for the creation of new ingredients for the absorption of said extracts encapsulated in various foods, improves their sensory profile (reduces bitterness) and provides added nutritional value.
All these milestones and progress show that the use of by-products from the agri-food industry is playing an increasingly important role implement practical examples of the circular economy It is a strategy that can deliver results and provide new opportunities for companies in the sector.