Transforming biomass into health-promoting ingredients
The UP4HEALTH(opens in new window) project was inspired by the vast quantities of underutilised by-products produced by plant-based food and beverage industries, especially wineries and olive mills. The project received funding from the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking(opens in new window), a public-private partnership. “The valorisation of these by-products represents both a necessity and an opportunity,” explains project coordinator Carlos Adelantado from ISANATUR(opens in new window) in Spain. “Although they are rich in polyphenols and other valuable biomolecules, they are often treated as waste. This incurs disposal costs and becomes an environmental burden.”
Functional food, nutraceutical and cosmetic sectors
UP4HEALTH recognised the unmet potential of transforming this biomass into sustainable, health-promoting ingredients for high-end markets such as functional food and the nutraceutical and cosmetic sectors. To turn this into a reality, the project focused on four locally available Mediterranean feedstocks from food processing: olive pomace (the remaining solid material after oil extraction), grape pomace, nut by-products (nut discards and nut press cake) and olive pits. “Existing technologies are available to recover high added-value ingredients,” says Adelantado. “A key challenge however is validating appropriate business models for upgrading processing facilities, overcoming bottlenecks and investment costs.” To achieve success, UP4HEALTH developed and implemented a novel cost-effective zero-waste process that can be affordable scaled up. This can be adapted to seasonal, locally sourced feedstocks (olives, grapes and almonds) to obtain four types of high-value ingredients: natural fruit water, high-polyphenol dietary fibre, oily fruit extracts and prebiotic xylooligosaccharides (XOSs).
Market-ready bio-based ingredients
The implementation of a scalable biorefinery model showed that food industry by-products can be upcycled into safe, effective and market-ready bio-based ingredients. Furthermore, nutritional analyses have revealed strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential in the extracted compounds. The techniques used and ingredients extracted will be demonstrated at the Vitafoods Europe(opens in new window) conference in Barcelona. “Three functional food prototypes – drinkable gels, snack bars and yogurt – were developed, tested and shown to retain desirable organoleptic and technological properties,” adds Adelantado. “A cosmetic product was also developed, which demonstrated moisturising, antioxidant and hypoallergenic properties.” For nutraceutical, food and cosmetic companies, this innovation could provide access to new, natural, clean-label ingredients that are aligned with current market trends, and help olive mills, wineries and nut manufacturers to reduce waste management costs. “Potential consumers include the elderly, athletes and health-conscious consumers looking for innovative products that support health and wellness,” remarks Adelantado. “Local economies can benefit from the creation of sustainable jobs and resilient supply chains rooted in local biomass availability.”
Untapping potential of underexploited food by-products
The UP4HEALTH project has laid the groundwork for commercialisation. Next steps include final regulatory validation of XOSs, building industrial partnerships, and pursuing product-specific clinical trials where needed to support health claims. “Some ingredients are already being considered for integration by functional food and nutraceutical companies, indicating strong market readiness,” says Adelantado. “Local biorefineries and supply chains are poised for scale-up, adapting to seasonal variations and regional agricultural outputs.” Building on this work, project coordinator ISANATUR also plans to develop a flagship industrial biorefinery located in Navarra, Spain, scheduled to begin production in 2028. “The long-term legacy of this project has been to demonstrate how available food technology and novel business models can untap the potential of underexploited food by-products from olives, nuts and grapes,” notes Adelantado. “This is in line with environmental sustainability, economic development and the promotion of healthier lifestyles.”
Keywords
UP4HEALTH, biomass, ingredients, plant-based, olive, wineries, biomolecules, nutraceutical
