AgriMax

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

View website

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