A group of Spanish companies has teamed up with the Universities of Granada and Seville for a project to develop healthy, fortified foods from fruit and vegetables that are usually discarded due to their size.
The €1.2m Naturpick project will use bioactive substances obtained from produce that cannot be sold when there is excess production because of its size to develop foods such as bars, gels and powders.
It is being run jointly by Agroponiente Natural Produce, who will be responsible for sourcing and selecting the produce; Granada-based DMC Research, who will identify the active functional ingredients; and Seville-based company Moreno Ruiz Hermanos, who will develop innovative recipes based around the bioactive compounds.
The consortium also has the support of the national agri-food technology centre of Andalusia (TECNOVA) and the Universities of Granada and Seville as research organisations.
The trend for healthy living has led to a rise in consumption of foods that are rich in healthy ingredients or fortified with compounds for specific needs, such as energy bars for athletes.
The Naturpick project will study ingredients such as garlic and onion – foods that are known for their multiple health benefits, including their ability to strengthen the immune system and protect against cardiovascular disease.
“We have managed to identify and characterise the phytochemicals present in onion and garlic which are responsible for their beneficial properties and to add them to our fortified foods,” Dr Alberto Baños, one of the researchers, told EFE.
Watermelons are another food product that will be studied within the framework of the project, as they are rich in citrulline; an amino acid that improves cardiac function and boosts the body’s performance and recovery after a physical exertion.
The final result of this project, co-financed with funds from both the EU and the Ministry of Economy, will be the development of superfoods in the form of bars and gels that will incorporate active ingredients of natural origin.
