The BionovFOOD project explored innovative ways to transform winery and distillery by-products, such as grape marc, wine lees, and vinasse, into edible fungal proteins, offering a sustainable alternative for future food production. Conducted over 24 months across two leading European research institutions, the University of Padua in Italy and the University of Borås in Sweden, the project brought together expertise in food science, biotechnology, microbiology, and engineering to create a truly interdisciplinary approach to sustainable nutrition.
The collected winery and distillery residues, were thoroughly analyzed to understand their nutritional and chemical composition, including proteins, polysaccharides, minerals, polyphenols, and other organic compounds. This characterization established their potential as a rich, sustainable substrate for cultivating edible fungi. Building on this foundation, the project developed and optimized bioprocesses using both submerged and solid-state fermentation techniques. Edible fungi strains, including Ascomycetes and Zygomycetes, were cultivated on these by-products, transforming low-value side streams into protein-rich fungal biomass. Various pretreatment strategies were applied, such as hydrothermal, organosolv, rotary evaporation, freeze-drying, and oven drying. Cultivations were scaled progressively, starting in shake flasks, moving to bench, pilot bioreactors, and demonstration-scale bioreactors of 1,300 liters, demonstrating the technical feasibility and industrial relevance of the new biovalorization approach.
The fungal biomass harvested underwent thorough characterization. Further, the nutritional composition, amino acid and fatty acid profiles, essential mineral composition, polyphenolic content, protein digestibility, mineral accesibility, and potential allergenicity, while also applying proteomic profiling to understand funagl biomass protein composition in detail. The results confirmed that these fungal proteins were nutritionally rich, containing complete profile of essential amino acids, with enhanced digestibility and polyphenolic content.
The next step translated this scientific innovation into practical food prototypes. Fungal biomass was incorporated into new formulation of meat analogue prototypes, combined with other clean-label ingredients. These prototypes were evaluated for nutritional quality, texture, microstructure, shelf life, and sensory appeal. Remarkably, the fungi-based products demonstrated fibrous, juicy textures and aromas reminiscent of meat, while also offering enhanced nutritional benefits when compared to commercial plant-based alternatives.
Complementing the technical work, the project also investigated consumer perceptions of these novel fungal proteins. A survey of 1,500 international participants revealed insights into preferences, acceptance, and willingness to adopt fungal proteins derived by bioconvertion of distillery by-products.
Overall, through its innovative approach, BionovFOOD successfully demonstrated that winery and distillery by-products could be biotransformed into safe, nutritious, and functional protein ingredients at industrially relevant scales. By integrating advanced biotechnology, food science, consumer research, sustainable food production, the project provides a compelling model for a circular bioeconomy, turning low-value agri-food side streams into high-value protein and sustainable food products. It showcases the potential for fungal proteins to contribute to future diets, supporting both environmental sustainability and human nutrition, while laying the groundwork for broader industrial adoption of alternative protein sources.
The project engaged a wide range of stakeholders, including industry partners, regulatory bodies, academic institutions, and consumers across Europe. Participation in conferences, workshops, co-creation sessions, open-access publications, and sensory studies ensured that research outcomes were relevant, accessible, and ready for uptake.
Capacity-building and training were central to the project’s achievements. The MSCA fellow gained extensive expertise in sustainable bioprocessing, fungal biotechnology, and alternative protein development, while mentoring early-stage researchers and fostering long-term scientific excellence across European institutions. Building on this experience, the fellow aims to lead independent research projects, expand collaborations with academia and industry, and contribute to policy and regulatory initiatives in sustainable food and circular bioeconomy, further strengthening Europe’s leadership in these fields.
Furthermore, this fellowship enhanced the researcher’s career prospects and, by integrating technical, scientific and societal dimensions, generated evidence-based outputs supporting regulatory and policy discussions on novel foods and by-products biovalorization for food applications. Additionally, collaborations initiated during the project expanded the network of beneficiaries and principal investigator (Dr. Hoxha), strengthening influence in sustainable food systems and policy-making.
In conclusion, the BionovFOOD project successfully fulfilled the objectives of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship. It advanced knowledge and innovation in the valorization of distillery & winery by-products, delivered meaningful societal and policy insights, and provided substantial career development opportunities for the fellow. Specifically, the project has:
- Achieved high scientific quality.
- Strengthened the researcher’s career prospects.
- Delivered tangible innovations for academia, industry, and public institutions.
- Fostered international collaboration and policy influence.
- Expanded the host institution’s research network and policy-making impact.
These results confirm that the project was implemented successfully, fully achieving the core objectives of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie European Postdoctoral Fellowship.
