Project Details

CIPROMED

Circular and inclusive utilisation of alternative proteins in the Mediterranean value chains.

Current European agricultural production systems are heavily dependent on protein imports to cover the nutritional needs of aquaculture and livestock production, but also for human consumption. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the EU for efficient, viable and locally produced alternative protein sources.

In this context, the objective of the CIPROMED project is to increase the stability and resilience of Mediterranean agri-food production systems through direct exploitation of locally produced traditional crops, as well as by valorising the proteins from locally generated agri-industrial side-streams (e.g., brewer’s spent grain, oilseed presscakes), and the upcycling and bioconversion of their extraction residues to protein produced by insects, legumes, microalgae and fermentation products to be further utilized in the agri-food and feed sectors. Using a multi-actor approach, CIPROMED activities will be unfolded through 7 Work Packages, in which insects and microalgae will be produced exploiting agri-industrial residues and extraction side-streams as substrates and applying innovative rearing and cultivation techniques to attain higher protein yields. To close the loop, insect frass will be used as soil fertiliser for legume (lupins and faba beans) production. High quality protein ingredients from agri-industrial residues, insects, legumes and microalgae will be extracted for food and feed applications via economically and environmentally sustainable extraction processes. To achieve circularity, the residues generated by the extraction processes will be integrated in diets formulated for insect rearing and heterotrophic microalgae cultivation, minimizing the residual amounts. Microbial fermentation will be used to enhance the range, stability and health promoting functionality of the new proteins.

All protein ingredients will be fully characterized, in terms of nutritional value, functional and biological properties, as well as safety. Based on the generated results, new prototypes of food and feed products containing the new protein ingredients will be formulated and validated using advanced and optimised processing technologies. Sensory and consumer tests will be performed for the evaluation of all products based on the enhanced food formulations and the estimation of the market expectations. Feeding trials with livestock animals (poultry) and fish will be conducted to map the effect of the new protein ingredients on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and animal health. Human clinical trials will allow to assess impact of foods containing novel proteins on satiety, fecal microbiota, metabolic profile, as well as their safety. The safety and regulatory compliance of the generated processes and products, as well as their environmental and economic sustainability will be demonstrated through environmental analyses, such as LCA, SLCA and E-LCC. The improved socio-economic attributes of the new Mediterranean agri-food production systems will be facilitated, by integrating all sustainability data in an eco-design platform.

At the same time, consumer attitudes and willingness-to-try, -buy, -pay and taste expectations for the developed new food products will be assessed via both qualitative and in-depth quantitative consumer surveys, and sensory tastings with the newly developed products will be carried out. Psychological, cognitive and emotional attitude and responses towards new food will be investigated using a combination of explicit and implicit psychometric assessments.

Finally, complete business models and extensive exploitation plans will be developed for the generated products to effectively boost the position of the new products in the market, co-created with and for stakeholders and consumers. The final outcome of CIPROMED will be the production of considerably sustainable, healthier, more environmental-friendly and not only affordable, but competitive food and feed product formulations available for all.

Partners:

• 
  Alma Mater Studiorum - Universita Di Bologna - UNIBO
• 
  RTD Talos Ltd
• 
  University of Thessaly (UTH)
• 
  Deutsches Institut für Lebensmitteltechnik e.V. (DIL)
• 
  University of Torin (UNITO)
• 
  Italian National Research Council (CNR)
• 
  Institut für Lebensmittel- und Umweltforschung e.V. (ILU)
• 
  AlgaEnergy S.A.
• 
  NextProtein
• 
  Sparos Lda
• 
  Flying Spark Ltd
• 
  AquaBioTech
• 
  ELVIZ SA
• 
  Stolzenberger Bakery
• 
  Green Development and Innovation Association (GDI)
• 
  Georg-August-Universitat Gottingen Stiftung Offentlichen Rechts (UGOE)