Reusing co-streams from fish and oil plant processing
13 Aug 2012
Researchers are developing together new ways of using the substantial co-streams from fish and oil plant processing as part of the APROPOS (Added value from high protein and high oil containing industrial co-streams) project.
The researchers aim to develop methods of ecologically, effectively and economically reusing protein- and oil-rich side streams suitable for food in new products.
Co-streams from the food industry are excellent sources of proteins and healthy oils for use in foods and cosmetics.
However, at the moment these side streams are mainly used as fish and animal feed, for energy, or end up as waste.
“From the point of view of sustainable development, using high-quality side streams from fisheries, agriculture and the food industry is a better solution than expanding agriculture and the number of farmed animals.
“There is global demand for a waste-free biorefinery, processing natural products which improve human well-being,” said Raija Lantto, Technology Manager at VTT, coordinating the project.
According to recent statistics, the global catch of fish is about 90 million tonnes each year, of which Europe’s share is around 13 million tonnes. Nearly half is used as human food.
Annual production of oil plants, such as the oil palm, soy, olive, sunflower and turnip rape, is around 60 million tonnes, of which 25 tonnes come from Europe. In oil plant production, an even greater portion remains unused, as foodstuffs for humans.
It has been estimated that the world population will reach 9 billion people by 2030, with the need for food growing by 50 per cent.
The goals of the APROPOS project are to:
- maximise the exploitation of raw materials
- minimise the over-purification/fractionation of the components
- allow concurrent enrichment of multiple components
- allow ethically viable end-uses of valuable biomass
- enable regionally distributed processing units in the vicinity of the primary production sites
- create business opportunities for the SME sector in Europe and beyond
Alongside VTT, research partners include the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, the Lithuanian Aleksandras Stulginskis University, the Manitoba Agri-Health Research Network from Canada, the Energy Research Institute, India and the University of Nairobi, Kenya.
Research organisations are concentrating on developing eco-efficient biomechanical processing technologies and end-product solutions suitable for small enterprises. Meanwhile, SMEs from various countries are evaluating applicability and feasibility of the technologies.
The three-year APROPOS project runs on a budget of EUR 4 million, of which 70 per cent has been granted by the European Commission.
