Periodic Reporting for period 2 - DEMICROCAROB (DEVELOPMENT AND MARKET UPTAKE OF AN INNOVATIVE TYPE OF MICRONIZED DEHYDRATED CAROB)
Reporting period: 2019-09-01 to 2020-12-31
Superfoods are increasingly popular according to industry sources; 56% of European consumers use superfoods to improve their health with food or drink. Currently, consumers are much more conscious and aware about health and many share the perception that the onset of many chronic diseases can be prevented with the proper intake of nutritious diet. Functional foods and supplements are not only being consumed for just meeting the recommended dietary allowance but also as a mechanism for performance enhancement and disease prevention. In addition to the above-mentioned changes, consumers’ preference has now undergone a paradigm shift from synthetic ingredients toward natural and organic foods, beverages and supplements. Present day’s consumers are more informed, and this could be attributed to current day media, which keeps consumers abreast of the latest scientific developments in health and wellness. Consumers are now moving towards food products that are obtained from natural non-genetically modified organism extracts.
Carobs are cultivated mainly in Mediterranean countries, particularly Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Malta, Cyprus, Morocco and Turkey, which together account for approximately 92% of the global production Nowadays carob market is focused on the products generated from carob seed, deeming carob pulp as a low-value product using in animal feed. However, raw carob pulp is considered as “superfood” due to their bioactive components and their beneficial properties for health: antioxidant, energetic, anticarcinogenic, antidiabetic, antidiahorrea, antihyperlipidemia, etc. In fact, carob is included in the priority list of wild-collected medicinal and aromatic plants as novel food.
Carob is directly collected from the ground when harvested, which implies it being contaminated by several microorganisms; therefore a further specific treatment is needed to stabilise its microbiological profile, to be able to commercialise it at a food level. Currently only ‘roasted carob flour’ is used directly for human consumption, however the ‘high temperature roasting process’ has a negative effect in the product altering its bioactive and nutritional properties (a reduction of total phenolic content and the total antioxidant activity). Raw carob pulp is used directly in animal feed, which means that the beneficial properties of raw carob pulp are not being exploited for human food.
PEDRO PEREZ is a SME located in Valencia (Spain), dedicated exclusively to the production and processing of carob. The mission of the company is to produce “high added value” products from the carob pulp. The company has more than 40 years of experience in the carob market and an international implementation, commercializing carob worldwide.
PEDRO PÉREZ, has developed a new product Beflesh carob powder, a new 100% natural carob superfood rich in bioactive compounds and has a health promoting effect.
Beflesh is a new natural ingredient with functional properties (antioxidant, energetic, anticarcinogenic, antidiabetic, gluten free, etc.) produced from carob fruit. Beflesh is a highly energetic, rich in fibre and in minerals such as: potassium, calcium, phosphorous and magnesium. It has a natural sweet taste, is gluten and caffeine free.
Beflesh is raw carob powder with the original bioactive compounds and nutritional properties of the carob fruit. It is produced with a very innovative dehydration process, at low temperature, to respect its original composition and bioactive capacity. This dehydration process makes Beflesh acrylamide free and richer in vitamins B9 and D2 compared to other commercial roasted carob powder products.
Beflesh is the healthy substitute of cocoa powder; being free from added sugars, rich in antioxidants and 0% fat. It contains more carbohydrates and fibre than cocoa powder and can be used directly
needing no additional sweetener.
Carobs are cultivated mainly in Mediterranean countries, particularly Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Malta, Cyprus, Morocco and Turkey, which together account for approximately 92% of the global production Nowadays carob market is focused on the products generated from carob seed, deeming carob pulp as a low-value product using in animal feed. However, raw carob pulp is considered as “superfood” due to their bioactive components and their beneficial properties for health: antioxidant, energetic, anticarcinogenic, antidiabetic, antidiahorrea, antihyperlipidemia, etc. In fact, carob is included in the priority list of wild-collected medicinal and aromatic plants as novel food.
Carob is directly collected from the ground when harvested, which implies it being contaminated by several microorganisms; therefore a further specific treatment is needed to stabilise its microbiological profile, to be able to commercialise it at a food level. Currently only ‘roasted carob flour’ is used directly for human consumption, however the ‘high temperature roasting process’ has a negative effect in the product altering its bioactive and nutritional properties (a reduction of total phenolic content and the total antioxidant activity). Raw carob pulp is used directly in animal feed, which means that the beneficial properties of raw carob pulp are not being exploited for human food.
PEDRO PEREZ is a SME located in Valencia (Spain), dedicated exclusively to the production and processing of carob. The mission of the company is to produce “high added value” products from the carob pulp. The company has more than 40 years of experience in the carob market and an international implementation, commercializing carob worldwide.
PEDRO PÉREZ, has developed a new product Beflesh carob powder, a new 100% natural carob superfood rich in bioactive compounds and has a health promoting effect.
Beflesh is a new natural ingredient with functional properties (antioxidant, energetic, anticarcinogenic, antidiabetic, gluten free, etc.) produced from carob fruit. Beflesh is a highly energetic, rich in fibre and in minerals such as: potassium, calcium, phosphorous and magnesium. It has a natural sweet taste, is gluten and caffeine free.
Beflesh is raw carob powder with the original bioactive compounds and nutritional properties of the carob fruit. It is produced with a very innovative dehydration process, at low temperature, to respect its original composition and bioactive capacity. This dehydration process makes Beflesh acrylamide free and richer in vitamins B9 and D2 compared to other commercial roasted carob powder products.
Beflesh is the healthy substitute of cocoa powder; being free from added sugars, rich in antioxidants and 0% fat. It contains more carbohydrates and fibre than cocoa powder and can be used directly
needing no additional sweetener.
The work carried out during the project includes the execution of theses work packages:
CONSTRUCTION OF PRE-PRODUCTION PROTOTYPE: The acquiring, mounting and commissioning the equipment and machinery needed for the pre-production of Beflesh.
PLANT OPERATION FINE-TUNNING. The adjustments of the optimum variables of the preproduction line were carried out.
Beflesh can be produced at an industrial rate of approximately 4.000 kg/ day.
Beflesh fulfils the required standards for human consumption and has a shelf life of 2 years.
EXPLOTATION AND DISSEMINATION PLAN. A communication and dissemination plan was developed to advertise the new product and its beneficial properties. The dissemination and communication activities were focused in introducing carob in the new food ingredients market and to its final consumers.
The target audience included suppliers (growers of carob), companies of the food sector (B2B) to introduce the product in the market, R&D community to promote its beneficial properties and final users (B2C) potential consumers of Beflesh.
BEFLESH must be perceived by its audience as a “new superfood”, 100% natural and rich in bioactive compounds.
A communication strategy was designed and different communication channels were used to reach the target audience:
1) A new trademark brand has been designed to make it more attractive and marketable Beflesh carob powder.
2) Visits to international trade fairs and events have been carried out to introduce the product in the food ingredients and organic ingredients market.
3) A new product website (www.befleshcarob.com) and an Instagram Beflesh account (https://www.instagram.com/befleshcarob/) focused in the end users of the product has been created.
4) Dissemination material has been delivered describing the beneficial properties and applications of the product.
5) Free samples have been distributed to allow the audience try its real taste and flavour.
As a result of all these actions, Beflesh has been marketed in 2020 in Europe (Spain, Austria and Portugal), Russia and Canada. Organic Beflesh has been very well accepted in the market being more than 50% of the product sold certified organic.
CONSTRUCTION OF PRE-PRODUCTION PROTOTYPE: The acquiring, mounting and commissioning the equipment and machinery needed for the pre-production of Beflesh.
PLANT OPERATION FINE-TUNNING. The adjustments of the optimum variables of the preproduction line were carried out.
Beflesh can be produced at an industrial rate of approximately 4.000 kg/ day.
Beflesh fulfils the required standards for human consumption and has a shelf life of 2 years.
EXPLOTATION AND DISSEMINATION PLAN. A communication and dissemination plan was developed to advertise the new product and its beneficial properties. The dissemination and communication activities were focused in introducing carob in the new food ingredients market and to its final consumers.
The target audience included suppliers (growers of carob), companies of the food sector (B2B) to introduce the product in the market, R&D community to promote its beneficial properties and final users (B2C) potential consumers of Beflesh.
BEFLESH must be perceived by its audience as a “new superfood”, 100% natural and rich in bioactive compounds.
A communication strategy was designed and different communication channels were used to reach the target audience:
1) A new trademark brand has been designed to make it more attractive and marketable Beflesh carob powder.
2) Visits to international trade fairs and events have been carried out to introduce the product in the food ingredients and organic ingredients market.
3) A new product website (www.befleshcarob.com) and an Instagram Beflesh account (https://www.instagram.com/befleshcarob/) focused in the end users of the product has been created.
4) Dissemination material has been delivered describing the beneficial properties and applications of the product.
5) Free samples have been distributed to allow the audience try its real taste and flavour.
As a result of all these actions, Beflesh has been marketed in 2020 in Europe (Spain, Austria and Portugal), Russia and Canada. Organic Beflesh has been very well accepted in the market being more than 50% of the product sold certified organic.
The launching of Beflesh in the market is helping to promote the cultivation of the carob tree; a dry farming crop, totally adapted to our climate conditions and very resistant to fire,. Moreover, and thanks to the large CO2 fixation capacity of carob tree, Beflesh will help the mitigation of climate change, since 5234ha of carob trees are harvested to produce Beflesh, absorbing around 81,411 tCO2ea/year.
Beflesh helps the development of a sustainable and environmentally friendly crop, which needs no fertilizing, no artificial irrigation and is resistant to pests and plagues.
Beflesh has revalued a by-product of carob industry (carob pulp), by producing a high added value ingredient with healthy benefits and properties.
Beflesh has demonstrated and scaled-up to industrial production the fine tuning of a new innovative technology to produce a new functional superfood to be introduced in the emergent superfood market through a consistent business plan.
Beflesh is supporting rural communities, since its production promotes the relationship with local farmers -carob suppliers- boosting the carob crop in rural areas of Spain. Beflesh is produced from the product harvested in more than 125.714 carob trees and is encouraging the rural economy of the region.
Beflesh helps the development of a sustainable and environmentally friendly crop, which needs no fertilizing, no artificial irrigation and is resistant to pests and plagues.
Beflesh has revalued a by-product of carob industry (carob pulp), by producing a high added value ingredient with healthy benefits and properties.
Beflesh has demonstrated and scaled-up to industrial production the fine tuning of a new innovative technology to produce a new functional superfood to be introduced in the emergent superfood market through a consistent business plan.
Beflesh is supporting rural communities, since its production promotes the relationship with local farmers -carob suppliers- boosting the carob crop in rural areas of Spain. Beflesh is produced from the product harvested in more than 125.714 carob trees and is encouraging the rural economy of the region.