CTNC promotes conferences to address trends and strategies in the recovery of by-products from the agri-food sector

The National Technological Center for Canning and Food has brought together its own and external expert researchers at various conferences held at the University of Murcia (UMU), University of Cartagena (UPCT), the Integrated Center for Training and Agricultural Experiences of Molina de Segura (CIFEA) to address different developments and strategies related to the recovery of by-products from the agri-food sector.

Both at the conference held at the UPCT and at the UMU, Presentation García, head of the CTNC's Technology department, outlined the objectives of the Agromatter project, the ultimate goal of which is to revitalize the industrial sectors represented by the technology centers that the They are formed through the transfer of technology and technical knowledge, also fostering new business opportunities related to the technologies promoted within the framework of this Initiative.

A project in which the CTNC participates through the revaluation of agri-food by-products, which has led it to become a Red Cervera Center of Excellence, a recognition endorsed by the CDTI.

Miguel Ayuso, head of the CTNC Environment Department, spoke of Eco-innovation as a factor for obtaining high value-added products in various projects in which the CTNC is immersed and where the Circular Economy plays a decisive role. The work of these investigations tries to value products to give them a second life, providing a new visibility to the hidden value of waste in the agri-food sector, as he has explained in the development of the events.

Likewise, he transferred the studies to improve sustainability and the evaluation of compounds with technological capabilities of the agri-food industry within the framework of the ET3Agrogren, ET4Microextract and ET5oilbionutri projects.

On the other hand, a workshop aimed at students and entrepreneurs related to the agri-food sector was scheduled at CIFEA. The head of the Laboratory of Microbiology and Food Safety, José Fernández, was in charge of presenting its R&D lines at the CTNC, as well as the techniques used that allow the reduction of the use of natural resources and chemical processes and the reuse of waste reducing the environmental impact.

Likewise, in each of the events they were informed of the PIDDE program, by the person in charge of the OTRI, Ángel Martínez, which allows identifying new technological opportunities in the market, one of them the Entrepreneurial Discovery awards framed in this action and that reward Eco-innovation, the Safe and Healthy Food Chain and Digitization, three modalities of the contest that seek to reward those proposals that present solutions to increase the productivity of the food industry, from sustainability.

On the other hand, Ana Belén Morales, a technician from the Agrofood Cluster, presented the Agro2Circular project at the conference, which investigates the hidden value of agri-food waste, revealed and promoted through a circular approach.

A2C is an EU project that promotes the upcycling of agri-food waste (from F&V and MPF) through innovative recovery routes, which lead to high extraction yields, bioactives with the purity and stability necessary to be used in the production of new foods, cosmetics and nutraceuticals. The entire process and products will be traceable through an innovative ICT platform that will function as a predictive tool to support decision-making (DIS, data integration system). It is a project linked to the Cervera technology of the Agromatter Network, which will be developed in the Region of Murcia until 2024 and which is intended to be replicated in Italy and Lithuania.

Source: CTNC