Purple4Life

Innovative, sustainable and circular production of purple phototrophic bacteria as health-promoting ingredient for food and feed applications.

Project details

Type of project
Research & Innovation Action
Project focus
Food, feed & cosmetics
Feedstock origin
Biogenic gaseous carbon
Sidestreams from industry
Feedstock type
Industrial waste streams
Project period
1 June 2025 - 31 May 2029
Status
Upcoming
CBE JU Contribution
€ 3 721 693,75
Call identifier
HORIZON-JU-CBE-2024

Summary

The agricultural sector is a pillar of global food production. At the same time, it accounts for over 12% of greenhouse gas emissions in Europe alone, and widespread soil contamination from fertilisers and pesticides. As global food demand rises, the sector must adopt innovative and sustainable solutions to reduce its environmental footprint.

Purple4Life aims to drive this transition by transforming food industry sidestreams into valuable, nutritious, and health-promoting ingredients using purple phototrophic bacteria (PPB). By demonstrating the feasibility of integrating PPB into food and feed production, the project seeks to enhance Europe’s innovation capacity and accelerate the shift towards a more sustainable agrifood system. 

Purple4Life will showcase PPB’s potential to improve nutrition, support circular economy principles, and reduce environmental impact.  

  • Transform different industrial by-products into feedstocks for lab-scale PPB production, aiming to make the process cost-effective and environmentally sustainable.
  • Demonstrate the feasibility of large-scale cultivation technology, producing high-quality PPB biomass for evaluating its health benefits for humans and animals.
  • Optimise light and electricity usage in PPB production, reducing energy consumption by at least 50% at both lab and pilot scales.
  • Reduce environmental impact by improving process efficiency, lowering CO2 emissions, and optimising resource use.
  • Demonstrate the health benefits of PPB, including its antioxidant properties and support for mitochondrial function and the immune system.
  • Use PPB as a high-quality fish feed supplement to improve fish health and growth, providing health benefits to consumers.
  • Establish PPB as an environmentally friendly and circular product, facilitating communication of its benefits and overcoming industry barriers.
  • Support Europe’s transition towards sustainable, bio-based ingredients for food and feed, replacing traditional ingredients with PPB.
  • Engage stakeholders, share results, and promote the implementation of PPB-based solutions in the food and feed industries. 

  • Introduce six high-quality, PPB-based feeds for food and feed applications.
  • Establish PPB as a sustainable, health-promoting ingredient for the food and feed sectors.
  • Improve understanding of PPB technology, regulations, and market potential among key stakeholders.
  • Demonstrate the feasibility of producing 5 kg/week of PPB at pilot scale.
  • Achieve a 50% reduction in electricity consumption for PPB production, minimising environmental impact.
  • Reduce CO2 emissions by 20%-40% per kg of PPB product, contributing to climate-friendly food and feed production.
  • Increase supply chain circularity for feed/food additives by 20%-50%.
  • Improve acceptance of farmed fish by improving their nutritional value and reducing reliance on wild fish.
  • Engage 20% of consumers, showing a willingness to adopt PPB-based products.
  • Strengthen Europe's leadership in PPB research and drive innovation in sustainable, bio-based production.
  • Support the transition to circular, sustainable agri-food production systems across Europe.

Consortium map

Project coordination

  • UNIVERSITE DE MONS Mons, Belgium

Consortium

  • UNIVERSITEIT ANTWERPEN Antwerpen, Belgium
  • UNIVERSIDAD PABLO DE OLAVIDE Sevilla, Spain
  • IMPERIAL COLLEGE OF SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND MEDICINE LONDON, United Kingdom
  • SOCIEDADE PORTUGUESA DE INOVACAO CONSULTADORIA EMPRESARIAL E FOMENTO DA INOVACAO SA Porto, Portugal
  • FRAUNHOFER GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG EV Munchen, Germany
  • NOFIMA AS Tromso, Norway
  • UNIVERSITE CATHOLIQUE DE LOUVAIN Louvain La Neuve, Belgium
  • UNIVERZITA KOMENSKEHO V BRATISLAVE Bratislava, Slovakia
  • CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE Roma, Italy
  • UNIVERSIDAD REY JUAN CARLOS Mostoles, Spain
  • TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITEIT DELFT Delft, Netherlands