About the Pro-Enrich project
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.
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.
Project period:
1 May 2018 - 31 October 2021.
Objectives
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.
Expected impacts:
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.
Project results
Pro-Enrich project has:
Demonstrated a flexible biorefinery approach and new business models for upcycling biomass from agriculture and food production.
Extracted new high-value components from citrus fruits, olives, tomatoes, and rapeseed – crops which are grown and processed in large quantities in the EU.
Taken the process of fractionation of biomass to a new level, identifying proteins, polyphenols, dietary fibres, and antioxidants for use in the food, pet food, cosmetics, and adhesives industries.
Worked towards demonstrating technical and commercial feasibility for both small and large-scale bio-processing units.
Performed technological, environmental and economic assessment.
MAIN RESULTS
We have succesfully extracted the following bioactive ingredients from our raw materials:
Hesperidin (flavonoid/antioxidant)
Extracted from citrus peels from juice production.
Markets and applications:
- Pharma: In diosmin/hesperidin products for its venotonic activity.
- Nutraceuticals: In dietary supplements for tired legs, joint protection, capillary protection, anti-cellulite, and more.
- Cosmetics: In products for alleviation of eye wrinkles.
- Feed: As antioxidant supplementation for pets and horses.
Lycopene (carteronoid/antioxidant)
Extracted from tomato peels from food production.
Markets and applications:
- Pharma: In products for prostate health.
- Food: As a colouring agent in food and drink products.
- Nutraceuticals: In dietary supplements for heart and brain health, sunburn protection, and more.
- Cosmetics: In anti-aging products and for healthy skin appearance.
Rapeseed protein (isolate and concentrate)
Extracted from rapeseed press cake from rapeseed oil and biodiesel production. Isolate: >90% protein, concentrate: >50% protein.
Markets and applications:
- Food: As a replacement product for animal-based protein.
- Pet food: As a replacement for animal-based protein.
- Adhesives: As a replacement for up to 40% of petrochemically derived phenolics.
WHAT’S NEXT?
- Scale-up to demonstration scale.
- Commercialization and market entrance.
