Periodic Reporting for period 1 - NOVAFOODIES (Demonstration of innovative functional food production systems based on a sustainable value chain of marine and freshwater raw materials for conscientious European consumers)
Reporting period: 2023-05-01 to 2024-10-31
Intensive agriculture for a growing population causes environmental problems locally and globally. Decline in species diversity in aquaculture and fisheries contributes to issues like bycatch, stock depletion, poor feed ratios, and eutrophication. To address these challenges, a holistic restructuring of production systems is necessary, focusing on waste recycling, sustainable production levels, and species diversity. Algae, a high-quality food with nutritional benefits, can help mitigate climate change through CO2 capture. However, current algae production systems are not efficient. While algae can improve sustainability in seafood value chains, broader changes are needed to ensure environmental responsibility and product traceability for consumer trust. Projects like NOVAFOODIES are working to enhance efficiency in the aquatic food industry, aiming to make seafood production profitable and environmentally sound. NOVAFOODIES will offer novel and competitive functional products to European consumers from a reliable, traceable, and sustainable fisheries and aquaculture value chains. To reach this, NOVAFOODIES is composed of an international consortium covering the whole value chain and expertise: production, processing, transformation, biosecurity, legislation, consumer associations, experts in business, IT, and sustainability. Within its main objectives, NOVAFOODIES will:
-Demonstrate, in 10 cases studies, cost-efficient and sustainable fish, micro- and macro- algae production processes that will benefit from natural ecosystem services.
-Develop an innovative and sustainable microwave-assisted algae drying process to maximising efficiency and lower costs.
-Upscaling an innovative biorefinery concept for separation of functional extracts from fish and seaweeds which will be optimised for the technoeconomic and environmental validation. Functional food prototypes will be prepared for human products and aquafeeds, which will be assessed in terms of properties, biosecurity, and standards, and will be brought to consumers by educative activities like showcookings.
-Develop an innovative process to make ecological packaging material from macroalgae.
-Design a process to convert the beach wracks material to invertebrate biomass for aquafeeds.
-Construct a process to valorise fisheries bycatches to create novel food for human consumption.
NOVAFOODIES will also develop a MarketPlatform and Mobile App using IoT technologies and advanced data analysis for tracing and wastes optimisation along the value chain, enhancing consumers trust. Partners are committed to the exploitation of developed technologies, being actively involved in the dissemination and exploitation, as well as education and training activities in local areas to promote sociolaboral inclusion and paving the way to the market entry of new products and processes.
-Demonstrate, in 10 cases studies, cost-efficient and sustainable fish, micro- and macro- algae production processes that will benefit from natural ecosystem services.
-Develop an innovative and sustainable microwave-assisted algae drying process to maximising efficiency and lower costs.
-Upscaling an innovative biorefinery concept for separation of functional extracts from fish and seaweeds which will be optimised for the technoeconomic and environmental validation. Functional food prototypes will be prepared for human products and aquafeeds, which will be assessed in terms of properties, biosecurity, and standards, and will be brought to consumers by educative activities like showcookings.
-Develop an innovative process to make ecological packaging material from macroalgae.
-Design a process to convert the beach wracks material to invertebrate biomass for aquafeeds.
-Construct a process to valorise fisheries bycatches to create novel food for human consumption.
NOVAFOODIES will also develop a MarketPlatform and Mobile App using IoT technologies and advanced data analysis for tracing and wastes optimisation along the value chain, enhancing consumers trust. Partners are committed to the exploitation of developed technologies, being actively involved in the dissemination and exploitation, as well as education and training activities in local areas to promote sociolaboral inclusion and paving the way to the market entry of new products and processes.
Farms participating in the project have been assessed based on their current production and implementation of IMTA. Environmental monitoring and culture practices have been considered in the systems, including species selection, cage layout, and site selection. Bioenergetic models have been developed to predict individual growth and species performance. Preliminary environmental reports have been developed for IMTA sites, with a focus on specific locations. Successful cultivation of Ulva spp. and other species has been demonstrated, with plans for further experiments and upscaling. Mathematical models have been developed for fish ingredient drying and algae fermentation processes, leading to optimization solutions.
A device combining vacuum and microwave (MW) radiation has been completed for drying microalgae, while a device with dry air and MW radiation is being designed for macroalgae. Bacterial isolates effectively degraded Ulva polysaccharides. Fish muscle, macroalgae, and bacterial isolates have been used in prototypes for the NOVAFOODIES project. Chemical analyses showed the antioxidant properties of Alaria and Ericaria. Functional food products with biomarine ingredients were developed, including a seaweed-flavoured cracker. Circularity assessments have been made to improve operations and performance metrics within the supply chain.
A portable monitoring system has been developed to track gas emissions, temperature, and humidity in real-time to detect spoilage during transport. Gas sensors effectively identify freshness changes. The methodology for life cycle assessment includes referencing frameworks and legislation. The Product Social Impact Life Cycle Assessment database review revealed social challenges in aquaculture. Critical indicators from the database investigation include health and safety, working hours, and fair salary. A complex standardization roadmap for NOVAFOODIES products and services was identified, with a focus on adapting standards for novel technologies.
A device combining vacuum and microwave (MW) radiation has been completed for drying microalgae, while a device with dry air and MW radiation is being designed for macroalgae. Bacterial isolates effectively degraded Ulva polysaccharides. Fish muscle, macroalgae, and bacterial isolates have been used in prototypes for the NOVAFOODIES project. Chemical analyses showed the antioxidant properties of Alaria and Ericaria. Functional food products with biomarine ingredients were developed, including a seaweed-flavoured cracker. Circularity assessments have been made to improve operations and performance metrics within the supply chain.
A portable monitoring system has been developed to track gas emissions, temperature, and humidity in real-time to detect spoilage during transport. Gas sensors effectively identify freshness changes. The methodology for life cycle assessment includes referencing frameworks and legislation. The Product Social Impact Life Cycle Assessment database review revealed social challenges in aquaculture. Critical indicators from the database investigation include health and safety, working hours, and fair salary. A complex standardization roadmap for NOVAFOODIES products and services was identified, with a focus on adapting standards for novel technologies.
Several results have been identified beyond the state of the art by the half of the project:
-Individual bioenergetic models developed that capture the key processes driving individual growth and can be used to accurately represent the growth of the selected species within the range of data used for calibration. They will be further demonstrated in the project IMTA cases.
-Demonstration of beach wrack for eco-packaging production.
-Completed design of microwave-assisted dryer for micro- and macroalgae drying. Further research and demonstration will be carried out in the second phase of the project.
-Three bacterial strains have been isolated for their feasibility and efficacy in the degradation of Ulva polysaccharides when supplied with crude algal biomass as sole carbon and energy source.
-The use of the fish muscle of the “Corvina Americana” in combination with the evaluated macroalgae have been developed as the first food formulation and concept idea.
-Hydroalcoholic extracts of Ericaria have been integrated in cosmetic serums and mousturizing creams, with good results in terms of colour, odour and emulsion stabilty. In addition, the cosmetic serum has proved highly antioxidant capability and good anti-inflammatory properties.
-Functional food products have been developed containing various ratios of biomarine ingredients (Alaria, Gracilaria and fish hydrolysate) in terms of bread, sausage, hamburgers, liver paté, energy bars and smoothies. Additionally, the development of a new “on-the-go” seaweed-flavoured cracker with significantly reduced energy and fat content compared to similar products.
-A portable system, capable of tracking gas emissions, temperature, and humidity in real-time to detect any signs of spoilage during transport, has been developed. The use of gas sensors has proven effective in identifying changes in product freshness.
-Individual bioenergetic models developed that capture the key processes driving individual growth and can be used to accurately represent the growth of the selected species within the range of data used for calibration. They will be further demonstrated in the project IMTA cases.
-Demonstration of beach wrack for eco-packaging production.
-Completed design of microwave-assisted dryer for micro- and macroalgae drying. Further research and demonstration will be carried out in the second phase of the project.
-Three bacterial strains have been isolated for their feasibility and efficacy in the degradation of Ulva polysaccharides when supplied with crude algal biomass as sole carbon and energy source.
-The use of the fish muscle of the “Corvina Americana” in combination with the evaluated macroalgae have been developed as the first food formulation and concept idea.
-Hydroalcoholic extracts of Ericaria have been integrated in cosmetic serums and mousturizing creams, with good results in terms of colour, odour and emulsion stabilty. In addition, the cosmetic serum has proved highly antioxidant capability and good anti-inflammatory properties.
-Functional food products have been developed containing various ratios of biomarine ingredients (Alaria, Gracilaria and fish hydrolysate) in terms of bread, sausage, hamburgers, liver paté, energy bars and smoothies. Additionally, the development of a new “on-the-go” seaweed-flavoured cracker with significantly reduced energy and fat content compared to similar products.
-A portable system, capable of tracking gas emissions, temperature, and humidity in real-time to detect any signs of spoilage during transport, has been developed. The use of gas sensors has proven effective in identifying changes in product freshness.