SUSFOOD2: Sustainable Processing of Agrofood Residues to Elicitors and Chemicals

The SPAREC project develops innovative solutions for the extraction of bioactive components (elicitors), from waste streams in the wine and fruit juice industry. Elicitors were obtained from orange and apple extract by Universidad Complutense de Madrid, and can potentially be used to reduce the need for agrochemicals. During the last period and through a close cooperation in the project, a full-scale field trial has been carried out at the Spanish wine producer Pago de Carraovejas. The field trial was carried out during the spring/summer 2021. Results from Pago de Carraovejas indicated that elicitors from orange and apple extract could be used in similar ways in the vineyard as a commercial elicitor that was used as control. No damage to the grape plant was observed, and the grape quality was very good. Furthermore, RISE PFI developed methods to quantify the release of elicitors from model cellulose-substrates and the effect of various cellulose substrates on seed germination and plant growth was assessed. This is done in collaboration with Université de Picardie Jules Verne (France), which focus on extraction and characterization of oligomers. Plant experiments were performed, and the effect of cellulose-based substrates on seed germination and plant growth are evaluated. In addition to various interesting R&D results that are intended to be published in scientific journals during 2022, the SPAREC project has also contributed to a larger internationalization of R&D and a closer cooperation between the project partners.

Prosjektet har bidratt til utvikling av metoder for fremstilling av bioaktive komponenter som kan brukes som elicitorer i landbruksproduksjon, og dermed redusere behovet for agrokjemikalier. Nytteverdien for FoU-miljøene er stor. Nye metoder ble utviklet for i) å fremstille bioaktive komponenter, ii) karakterisering og iii) testing av de bioaktive komponentene i fullskala forsøk. Dette er viktig kunnskap som utvider kompetansen til de deltakende forskningsgruppene. For bedriftene var også virkningene store. Metoder ble utviklet og testet for å fremstille enzymer, og for å teste enzymenes funksjon ved fraksjonering av bioaktive komponenter. Europeisk lovgivning oppfordrer produsenter til å benytte bærekraftige råstoff i sine produkter. Bruk av bioaktive komponenter fra fruktindustrien er et skritt i den retningen. Dette forventes å gi et konkurransefortrinn for de deltakende bedriftene når det gjelder bruk av bærekraftige bioaktive komponenter.

The SPAREC project focuses on sustainable processes from both an environmental and an economical point of view, addressing the concept of circular economy. It is designed using an integrated biorefinery concept, which ensures a comprehensive use of material and energetic resources, while food residues are valorized, reusing valuable components at the farm and at industrial level. Innovative solutions to waste streams in the wine and fruit juice industries are looked for in this project, extracting medium to high-added value mixtures that are or can be used as ingredients, chemicals and additives in the food; chemical and cosmetic industries; or as plant immune-system elicitors in green-houses and farms, reducing the need for agrochemicals. Processes to value-added products from wastes are physical, chemical, physicochemical, enzymatic and microbiologic, and products will be tested for their antioxidant and plant immune system elicitor capacity, this latter at lab, pilot-plant and field scales. Therefore, the proposed strategies will reduce waste treatment costs, while improving economics at the food industry and farm levels. The consortium is well balanced considering the complementary scientific and economic background, expertise and capabilities (fundamental and applied research, laboratory, demonstration and production capacities, and public/industrial participation) of the partners to successfully address the ambitious project objectives.