Project: Extraction and characterization of BIOactives and CARBohydrates from seaweeds and seagrasses FOR FOOD-related applications

Acronym	BIOCARB-4-FOOD
Duration	01/09/2018 - 31/08/2021
Project Topic	Carbohydrates are the most important source of food energy in the world being also key ingredients for food formulations, serving as thickeners, stabilizers and gelling agents or providing functional attributes. Functional and technological properties of polysaccharides depend on composition, structure and physicochemical characteristics, defined by source and extraction method employed. Seaweeds and seagrasses are a valuable and under-exploited source of carbohydrates, in particular cell wall polysaccharides (phycocolloids), and bioactive compounds such as polyphenols or carotenoids. Current industrial procedures used by European companies for carbohydrate extraction from seaweeds are highly inefficient in terms of processing time, water and energy requirements. Furthermore, the remaining biomass (generally much more than 50% of the initial material) is used as compost or simply disposed as organic waste. We propose to explore, in close collaboration with industry, novel, environmentally friendly and efficient extraction techniques (ultrasound, microwave, enzymes and their combinations), combined with the exploitation of the remaining biomass, rich in bioactive compounds, to sequentially obtain novel carbohydrate-based extracts and fibers (nanocellulose) from seaweeds and seagrasses. We will characterize structure, technological properties, toxicity and bioactivity of the fractions obtained from the various extraction technologies and a life cycle assessment (LCA) will also be conducted for proving the sustainability of the procedures. The project is expected to contribute to improved process efficiency, development of ingredients with high added value from already commercialized seaweed species and from under-exploited sources (seagrasses) which can positively impact in the competitiveness of seaweed, food and non-food companies at EU scale by a better valorization of raw materials.
Website	visit project website
Network	SUSFOOD2
Call	SUSFOOD2 ERA-NET COFUND

Project partner

Number	Name	Role	Country
1	Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology	Coordinator	Spain
2	Nofima AS	Partner	Norway
3	Teagasc	Partner	Ireland
4	University of Hohenheim	Partner	Germany
5	RISE Research Institutes of Sweden	Partner	Sweden