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AgriMax

Agri and food waste valorisation co-ops based on flexible multi-feedstocks biorefinery processing technologies for new high added value applications

Project details

Type of project
Innovation Action - Demonstration
Project focus
Packaging
Feedstock origin
Agri-food waste
Feedstock type
Food industry sidestreams
Project period
1 October 2016 - 30 September 2021
Status
Completed
CBE JU Contribution
€ 12 484 461,46
Call identifier
H2020-BBI-PPP-2015-02

Summary

Around a third of all food produced globally is wasted each year. This waste occurs throughout the whole value chain, from farmers to consumers. However, wasted food contains a lot of valuable compounds that could and should be recovered.

The AgriMax project has proven the technical and economic viability of a waste biorefining process from crops and food processing to deliver new bio-based compounds for the chemical, agriculture, food, fertilisers, packaging and plastic sectors.

The project has combined affordable and flexible processing technologies. These technologies include ultrasound-assisted and solvent extraction, filtration, and thermal and enzymatic treatments. These treatments have significantly increased the value of by-products from agricultural and food processing, particularly in tomato, cereal, olive, and potato processing industries.  

  • Map the available agricultural and food processing waste and its features.
  • Set up two flexible pilot plants for processing organic waste into value-added bio-based compounds.
  • Validate and demonstrate the use of derived bio-based compounds in packaging applications, food and agricultural applications.
  • Demonstrate the safety, regulatory compliance, and environmental and economic sustainability of the developed processes and products.
  • Implement a joint stakeholder platform to operate the processing plants and propose suitable business models cooperatively. 

  • AgriMax obtained bioactive compounds from tomatoes, cereals, olives, and potatoes, such as carotenoids, phenolics, essential oils, and β-glucans. These compounds are known for their health properties, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, thickening ability, and potential use as natural food colourants.
  • The AgriMax bioactive compounds can be used in three markets:  
    • Packaging: offering bio-based solutions for various types of packaging and coatings.
    • Food: providing additives, ingredients, and enhanced food products.  
    • Agriculture: delivering bio-based plastics for mulch films and pots, and advanced waste-derived bio-based fertilisers in a cascade approach.
  • The by-products achieved as a result of the process were used for further applications. These included coatings based on cutin, proteins for food applications, and bio-based polymers produced by fungi used in packaging for handling and transporting products.
  • A stakeholder platform was developed to engage stakeholders and open the pilot biorefineries to external entities. 

  • Reducing the usage of raw materials and fossil fuels, such as gas emissions (methane, nitrous oxide, and CO2), along the whole food value chain from farmers to consumers.
  • Producing economic benefits through the new business opportunities generated in the commercialisation of the new products.
  • Maximising the agriculture and food industry’s growth and competitiveness by new business models. 

Consortium map

Project coordination

  • IRIS TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS, SOCIEDAD LIMITADA CORNELLA DE LLOBREGAT, Spain

Consortium

  • GAVIPLAS, S.L. Alfarrasi, Spain
  • INSTITUTO TECNOLOGICO DEL EMBALAJE, TRANSPORTE Y LOGISTICA Paterna, Spain
  • FACHVERBAND DER NAHRUNGS UND GENUSSMITTELINDUSTRIE WIEN, Austria
  • UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, DUBLIN Dublin, Ireland
  • LASER CONSULT MUSZAKI-TUDOMANYOS ES GAZDASAGI TANACSADO KORLATOLT FELELOSSEGU TARSASAG Szeged, Hungary
  • MOGU SRL Inarzo, Italy
  • FEDERACIO DE COOPERATIVES AGRARIES DE CATALUNYA Barcelona, Spain
  • UNIVERSITEIT GENT Gent, Belgium
  • BIOVALE LIMITED York, United Kingdom
  • CHIESA VIRGINIO E C SOCIETA' SEMPLICE AGRICOLA Canneto Sull'Oglio, Italy
  • FRAUNHOFER GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG EV Munchen, Germany
  • BIOPROCESS PILOT FACILITY BV Delft, Netherlands
  • AIMPLAS - ASOCIACION DE INVESTIGACION DE MATERIALES PLASTICOS Y CONEXAS PATERNA VALENCIA, Spain
  • INDULLEIDA S.A. Alguaire, Spain
  • LEBENSMITTELVERSUCHSANSTALT Wien, Austria
  • CONSORZIO INTERUNIVERSITARIO NAZIONALE PER LA SCIENZA E TECNOLOGIA DEI MATERIALI Firenze, Italy
  • ARCHA SRL Pisa Pi, Italy
  • TRIVIUM PACKAGING ITALY SRL Montecchio Emilia, Italy
  • NOFIMA AS Tromso, Norway
  • BARILLA G. E R. FRATELLI SPA Parma, Italy
  • GOSPODARSKO INTERESNO ZDRUZENJE GROZD PLASTTEHNIKA - GIZ GROZD PLASTTEHNIKA Celje, Slovenia
  • FERTINAGRO BIOTECH SL Teruel, Spain
  • CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE Roma, Italy
  • INSTITUT DE RECERCA I TECNOLOGIA AGROALIMENTARIES Caldes De Montbui Barcelona, Spain
  • UNIVERSIDAD DE ALMERIA Almeria, Spain
  • ALMA MATER STUDIORUM - UNIVERSITA DI BOLOGNA Bologna, Italy
  • STAZIONE SPERIMENTALE PER L'INDUSTRIA DELLE CONSERVE ALIMENTARI AZIENDA SPECIALE Parma, Italy
  • NORMEC OWS GENT, Belgium
  • FEMTO ENGINEERING SRL San Casciano In Val Di Pesa, Italy
Former member
  • CHIESA VIRGINIO Italy
  • ARDAGH GROUP ITALY SRL Montorio Al Vomano, Italy
  • EXERGY LTD Coventry, United Kingdom