Pro-Enrich

Development of novel functional proteins and bioactive ingredients from rapeseed, olive, tomato and citrus fruit side streams for applications in food, cosmetics, pet food and adhesives

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Project details

Type of project: Research & Innovation Action
Project focus: Food, feed & cosmetics
Feedstock origin: Agri-food waste
Feedstock type: Crop residues

Project period: 1 May 2018 - 31 October 2021
Status: Completed
CBE JU Contribution: € 3 312 890,86
Call identifier: H2020-BBI-JTI-2017

Summary

Pro-Enrich project will demonstrate a new business model for extracting high-value components from agricultural side streams, demonstrating technically and commercially feasibility for both small and large-scale bio-processing units.

The Pro-Enrich project will develop a flexible biorefinery approach able to processing a range of agricultural residues from rapeseed meal, olives, tomatoes and citrus fruit industries. This will help fulfil the growing global demand for alternative sources of protein and phenolic product streams.

Pro-Enrich take the process of fractionising biomass to a new level, identifying proteins, polyphenols, dietary fibres and pigments for use as food ingredients, pet food, cosmetics and adhesives.

The specific objectives of the Pro-Enrich project are to:

Determine the components with the highest market potential from the four residue streams being investigated, as evaluated by the project industrial end user partners;
Undertake a range of bio-refining processes that yield high quantities of high-purity functional proteins and bioactive components;
Develop the biorefinery processes in pilot scale, advancing the best businesses cases to demonstration scale.
Apply components isolated from the bio-refining into key market areas and demonstrate their fitness for purpose;
Undertake a system analysis to make these processes technically and economically attractive;
Undertake sustainability assessments of process alternatives to ensure that any new product ranges developed provide environmental benefits.
Carry out a feasibility assessment of the Pro-Enrich business model.

As well as its contribution to the overall BBI-JU goals and Key Performance Indicator, the Pro-Enrich project aims to have the following impacts:

Create two new cross-sector interconnections in bio-based economy clusters;
Introduce pressed olive pomace, olive mill waste water, rapeseed meal press cake and fruit and vegetables processing residues as valuable bio-refining resources;
Develop protocols for producing four different ingredients with a purity levels enabling their use in foods, pet foods, cosmetics and adhesives;
Define how to adapt modern bio-refineries to seasonal residues within the same processing unit, reducing downtime and increasing return on investment
Apply a circular and cascading biorefinery approach to feedstocks that delivers a more environmentally and economically sustainable process, including a reduction in carbon footprint over existing processes of at least 10 percent.

Pro-Enrich features as an example of the development of the bioeconomy in Wales (from minute 8:09).

Upcycling food waste into new proteins and ingredients
Food Manufacture, 21 August 2020
The creation of highly-valuable plant-based ingredients by BBI JU-funded project Pro-Enrich is featured in the specialised portal. The project uses of by-products and waste from agriculture and food producers to boost the circularity of resources.
Read more: English

Consortium map

Project coordination

TEKNOLOGISK INSTITUT Taastrup, Denmark

Consortium

GEA WESTFALIA SEPARATOR GROUP GMBH Oelde, Germany
G. C. HAHN AND COMPANY LIMITED LONDON, United Kingdom
CHIMAR (HELLAS) AE - ANONYMI VIOMICHANIKI KAI EMPORIKI ETAIREIA CHIMIKON PROIONTON Thermi Thessaloniki, Greece
ANECOOP SOCIEDAD COOPERATIVA Valencia, Spain
FBCD AS Tjele, Denmark
TAILORZYME APS HERLEV, Denmark
INNORENEW COE CENTER ODLICNOSTI ZA RAZISKAVE IN INOVACIJE NA PODROCJU OBNOVLJIVIH MATERIALOV IN ZDRAVEGA BIVANJSKEGA OKOLJA Izola, Slovenia
NATAC BIOTECH SL HERVAS, Spain
UNIVERZA NA PRIMORSKEM UNIVERSITA DEL LITORALE Koper, Slovenia
EMMELEV AS OTTERUP, Denmark
JAENCOOP, S.COOP AND Villanueva Del Arzobispo, Spain
ACONDICIONAMIENTO TARRASENSE ASSOCIACION Terrassa, Spain
EURIZON SL Madrid, Spain
FRANKA MARZI SMARJE PRI KOPRU, Slovenia
MARS GMBH Verden, Germany
BANGOR UNIVERSITY Bangor, United Kingdom