HULLinFOOD

Bioactive ingredients for nutraceutical and functional foods from almond hull by-products with a zero-waste approach in a cascading biorefinery system.

Abstract:

HULLinFOOD seeks to provide solutions to two of the most complex challenges that modern society faces;

(i) the need of healthy and functional foods to tackle the increase of global levels of diseases and

(ii) the need for the transition to lineal business model to circulars ones, improving environmental impact of industrial systems.

From these challenges, a new innovative and sustainable strategy emerges thanks to the upcycling of the almond’s hull (by-product of almond processing) as a new source of food ingredients. Almond’s hull is a rich by-product containing a wide range of bioactive
components with high added value. Nonetheless, almond’s hull is mainly being employed as livestock feed and as biomass raw material to generate electricity. Thus, the potential use of using almond’s hull as a source for obtaining bioactive compounds would be highly beneficial for human consumption, however, this topic is yet to be explored.

The project considers the almond’s hull as innovative and alternative source of bioactive compounds; e.g,. triterpenes (betulinic, urosolic, oleanolic acids) flavonoids (hesperidin, quercetin) and pectin, which will be investigated as potential functional ingredients with antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiinflammatory, anti-hypertensive, hypoglycemic and hypocolesterolemic properties. In this framework, HULLinFOOD’s main objective is to increase the availability of sustainable, resilient, safe, and healthy food ingredients by implementing circular strategies and valorisation processes to convert almond’s hull into innovative and natural functional ingredients and nutraceuticals.

To achieve this, the project will be taking a step-forward to the current state-of-the-art, creating and consolidating new value chains on almond’s hull valorisation involving innovative technologies in a cascading approach biorefinery. In this frame, the project aims at:

• (a) assessing the almond’s hull availability, quality, sustainable supply as well as its presence of target compounds (Activity 2),
• (b) Implementing a proper logistic structure and management system, including suitable conditioning process to ensure almond’s hull quality, safety and stability (Activity 2- Activity 3)
• c) Evaluating cost-effective and innovative extraction technologies (e. g., DES, MAE, UAE) to release the target bioactive components (Activity 3);
• (d) evaluating potential biofunctionalities of the obtained extracts (Activity 4); and
• (e) Stablishing a scalable-by-design multi-product biorefinery processes within a zero-waste strategy to demonstrate at relevant scale (TRL 7) the obtaining of the different functional ingredient prototypes (Activity 5).

In order to achieve all these objectives, this project is structured as a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary collaborative work where UNIÓ NUTS (coordinator) and Leitat (participant) will endeavour this project together in order to develop innovative circular strategies with the following
expected results:

• (a) A protocol for the management, logistics and processing of almond’s hull, targeting new high added value industrial applications,
• (b) Know-how on innovative technological processes for bioactive compounds extraction and
• (c) A design of a cascading approach biorefinery process which will have been validated (TRL 6-7) for the obtaining of:
  
  • (i) 1-2 ingredient with antioxidant
    and/or antimicrobial properties,
  • (ii) 1-2 ingredient with anti-implicatory and/or anti-hypertensive properties, and
  • (iii) 1 ingredient with  hypoglycemic and hypocholesterolemic properties.

Likewise, HULLinFOOD seeks to respond to the strategic objectives of the EU Green Deal related to guaranteeing food security, as well as reducing the environmental and climate footprint and strengthening the resilience of the EU food system. The project is aligned with strategies and initiatives such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (specifically SDG 3 and SDG 12) and the Spanish Circular Economy Strategy (EECC).

Leitat’s Role in the Project:

Leitat will act in the HULLinFOOD project as a beneficiary member.