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FUNGUSCHAIN

Valorisation of mushroom agrowastes to obtain high value products

Project details

Type of project
Innovation Action - Demonstration
Project focus
Food, feed & cosmetics
Feedstock origin
Agri-food waste
Feedstock type
Crop residues
Project period
1 November 2016 - 30 April 2021
Status
Completed
CBE JU Contribution
€ 5 700 547
Call identifier
H2020-BBI-PPP-2015-02

Summary

The FUNGUSCHAIN project aims to extract value from the agricultural offcuts of commercial mushroom farming. It seeks to process these offcuts into bio-based functional additives and biopolymers using a cascading approach to separate the valuable components into a spectrum of products. It also seeks to prove its industrial viability by building a new biorefinery and modifying industrial current manufacturing lines.

The bio-molecules and building blocks isolated from the mushroom wastes will be validated for industrial production in three value chains for the European economy, notably food supplements for the elderly, plastic products and industrial film products such as bags and gloves.

  • Demonstrate an integrated process of valorisation of agro-residues from mushroom industrial cultivation into bio-based functional additives and biopolymers
  • Demonstrate the industrial viability by building a new biorefinery and modifying industrial current lines

  • Boost innovation on agricultural waste management establishing circular economy business models.
  • Definition, demonstration, validation of at least 5 new types of products (food supplements, cleaning products, commercial masterbatches, commercial plasticizers and industrial films)
  • Improvement of environmental performance and cost efficiency of resulting products
  • Increase the capacity of industries and SMEs to contribute to innovative research in the field of valorisation of agricultural waste.

Funguschain project video introduction

FUNGUSCHAIN project turns mushroom cultivation residues into foods, cosmetics, and bioplastics
26 November 2020
Cultivating mushrooms produces a lot of waste. For every kilogram of mushrooms produced, about three kilograms of soil-like material containing straw, manure and peat is left behind. In the EU, this results in more than 3 billion kilograms of waste per year. Read more

New bio-based films for agriculture contribute to SDGs
29 June 2020
Waste from mushroom production can no longer be just waste; FUNGUSCHAIN is transforming it into bio-based and biodegradable films for agriculture. The films have no toxic effects and avoid the accumulation of non-biodegradable plastics in the soil, making an effective contribution to several of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Read more

Consortium map

Project coordination

  • BioDetection Systems B.V. Amsterdam, Netherlands

Consortium

  • NOVAMONT SPA Novara, Italy
  • UNIVERSIDAD DE ALICANTE Alicante, Spain
  • TECNARO GESELLSCHAFT ZUR INDUSTRIELLEN ANWENDUNG NACHWACHSENDER ROHSTOFFE MBH Ilsfeld, Germany
  • KUNGLIGA TEKNISKA HOEGSKOLAN Stockholm, Sweden
  • MONAGHAN MUSHROOMS IRELAND Monaghan, Ireland
  • FUNDACION AITIIP Zaragoza, Spain
  • BIOTREND-INOVACAO E ENGENHARIA EM BIOTECNOLOGIA SA Cantanhede, Portugal
  • Condensia Quimica SA Barcelona, Spain
  • TOTALENERGIES CORBION BV Gorinchem, Netherlands
  • SAPONIA KEMIJSKA, PREHRAMBENA I FARMACEUTSKA INDUSTRIJA DD Osijek, Croatia
  • BIOZOON GMBH Bremerhaven, Germany
  • NEEM BIOTECH LTD ABERTILLERY, United Kingdom
  • NORMEC OWS GENT, Belgium
  • MI-PLAST DOO ZA PROIZVODNJU, TRGOVINU I PRUZANJE USLUGA Rijeka, Croatia
  • CENTRO EUROPEO PER I POLIMERI NANOSTRUTTURATI SCARL Florence, Italy
Former member
  • PURAC BIOCHEM BV Gorinchem, Netherlands