Project description
Preserving fresh fruits and vegetables with mild processing
Consumers are increasingly demanding food that is fresh, healthy, convenient, sustainable, locally produced and free of additives. EU-funded SHEALTHY will employ non-thermal sanitisation, preservation and stabilisation methods to enhance the safety, preserve the nutritional quality and prolong the shelf life of minimally processed fruit and vegetable (F&V) products. Demonstration and validation will be performed for minimally processed F&Vs and F&V-based juices and smoothies. To improve the traceability and authenticity of raw materials across the entire value chain, novel cooperative business models and logistics systems will be set up. Importantly, innovations will be tailored to the requirements of local micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises. The project will also assess commercial feasibility, including consumer acceptance and regulatory, safety and environmental factors.
Objective
SHEALTHY proposal aims to assess and develop an optimal combination of non-thermal sanitization, preservation and stabilization methods to improve the safety (inactivation of pathogens and spoilage microorganisms), while preserving the nutritional quality (up to 30%) and prolonging the shelf-life (up to 50%) of minimally processed F&V products. By combining and modulating non-thermal technologies with minimally processing operation, we will respond to consumers’ demand for fresh, healthy, convenient, sustainable and locally produced and additive-free food. The combined and optimised mild technologies will be demonstrated and validated in 2 business cases: Minimally processed fruits and vegetables and Fruit and vegetable-based juices & smoothies. Sanitization during washing will be optimized by applying in combination ultrasound (US), electrolysed water, plasma activated water, High Intensity Pulsed Light and Blue Light. Bioactive coating, active and intelligent packaging will be applied for quality preservation and shelf life extension of minimally processed F&V. F&V-based juices & smoothies will be stabilized by US and high pressure processing. For F&V by-product valorisation, US, pulsed electric field and membrane filtration will be used to extract bioactive compounds.
Sustainable and flexible processing methods will be transferred and adapted to the need of local F&V micro and SMEs, interconnecting primary producers through novel cooperative business models and new logistics systems, to enhance the traceability and authenticity of raw materials along the F&V value chain.
Commercial feasibility will be assessed, including consumer acceptance and regulatory, safety and environmental aspects. SHEALTHY will combine the technology trends and consumer needs to afford the business models, technology transfer and market orientation that will facilitate the transition towards a new collaborative agrifood ecosystem for traditional, local and rural SMEs around EU.
Fields of science
- agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagriculturehorticulturefruit growing
- social scienceseconomics and businessbusiness and managementbusiness models
- engineering and technologymaterials engineeringcoating and films
- agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagriculturehorticulturevegetable growing
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiology
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesacousticsultrasound
Keywords
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinator
80122 Napoli
Italy
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
Participants (23)
80138 Napoli
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6708 PB Wageningen
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14469 Potsdam
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DD1 1HG Dundee
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5230 Odense M
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18071 Granada
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08940 CORNELLA DE LLOBREGAT
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
26315 Aleson La Rioja
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Legal entity other than a subcontractor which is affiliated or legally linked to a participant. The entity carries out work under the conditions laid down in the Grant Agreement, supplies goods or provides services for the action, but did not sign the Grant Agreement. A third party abides by the rules applicable to its related participant under the Grant Agreement with regard to eligibility of costs and control of expenditure.
31243 Arroniz
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
Legal entity other than a subcontractor which is affiliated or legally linked to a participant. The entity carries out work under the conditions laid down in the Grant Agreement, supplies goods or provides services for the action, but did not sign the Grant Agreement. A third party abides by the rules applicable to its related participant under the Grant Agreement with regard to eligibility of costs and control of expenditure.
31350 Peralta Navarra
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
Legal entity other than a subcontractor which is affiliated or legally linked to a participant. The entity carries out work under the conditions laid down in the Grant Agreement, supplies goods or provides services for the action, but did not sign the Grant Agreement. A third party abides by the rules applicable to its related participant under the Grant Agreement with regard to eligibility of costs and control of expenditure.
26559 Aldeanueva De Ebro La Rioja
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
26500 De Calahorra La Rioja
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
46980 Paterna
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
72100 Cittadella Della Ricerca Brindisi
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9042 Desteldonk Gent
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
84018 Scafati
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
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84016 Pagani
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
21000 Novi Sad
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11000 Beograd
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
Participation ended
7532 SN Enschede
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
00161 Roma
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1165 Kobenhavn
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