17 Sep UP4HEALTH, SUSTAINABLE UPCYCLING OF OLIVE, GRAPE AND NUT BY-PRODUCTS

UP4HEALTH is a pre-industrial scale project which proposes the use of biorefineries for the recovery of biomolecules as natural, healthy and high added value by-products.

The biomass used in this project as raw material comes from  wineries, oil mills and nut processing. The ingredients obtained will be integrated as nutraceutical supplements and cosmetics, alluding to health-conscious consumers, the elderly, athletes, overweight people and carriers of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), among others.

The processing of grapes, olives and nuts produces a large amount of waste, whose treatment has a high cost for the producers. The valorisation proposed is aimed at promoting the use of residual biomass, rich in bioactive compounds, optimizing the value chain to obtain four natural, organic, healthy and sustainable ingredients.

The production process proposed at UP4HEALTH is exclusive, sustainable and innovative. It is a process that pursues the objective of “zero waste”, taking advantage of residual and local raw materials in the form of biomass. In this way, four sources of organic waste from the primary sector located in the Mediterranean (olive and grape pomace, nut by-products and olive stones), would be able to generate four ingredients of high quality and exclusivity.

The four ingredients that this project will put on the market are: 1) natural fruit water rich in polyphenols, 2) dietary fibre rich in polyphenols, 3) natural oily fruit extracts and 4) xyloligosaccharides (prebiotic dietary fibres). These ingredients will be integrated into functional foods and as nutraceutical and cosmetic supplements. The multiple applications, framed in food categories, that will be promoted by the partners linked to the project are: meat products, healthy snack bars, soft foods for the elderly, drinkable solutions in the form of gel, olive oil, natural drinks, yogurt, dietary supplements and cosmetic applications.

One of the main competitive advantages of this project is the use of very low-cost raw materials, as well as using a cheap production process with a high level of environmental commitment, which is highly demanded due to the new profile of responsible customers. Some of the most relevant indicators that will mark the success of the project are in this line: potential reduction of drying time (15 – 20%), reduction of energy consumption (5 – 10%), reduction of carbon footprint (30%) and contribution to the standardization of organic products, among others.

UP4HEALTH will have a duration of 48 months and it will be funded from the Bio Based Industries Joint Undertaking (JU). The JU receives support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme and the Bio Based Industries Consortium

Project partners

The consortium is composed of nine partners from five different countries. ISANATUR SPAIN (Project coordinator) (Spain), CONTACTICA. (Spain), LABORATORIOS AMEREX (Spain), ZADE VITAL  (Turkey), BIOZOON (Germany), AURORA INTELLIGENT NUTRITION (Spain), INDUKERN (Spain), University of Vigo (Spain), Instituto Politécnico de Braganza (Portugal) and Technological University Dublin (Ireland).

For more information

ISANATUR SPAIN S.L. (Coordinator): up4health@isanatur.com