![]() Now, as part of OLEAF4VALUE, Natac and Mowi are testing ingredients from the leaves to gauge whether they can protect fish from viral infections. Trials so far – conducted at the Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology in Spain – have found they make salmon more resilient to such contagion. The two companies have already successfully tested olive pulp ingredients in feed for fish to determine whether they protect salmon from bacterial infections. Natac works with Norway-based Mowi, the world’s largest producer of farmed salmon. Pinilla is project manager at Natac Group, which makes natural ingredients for food supplements, feed and pharmaceuticals. The project is working with Mibelle Biochemistry Switzerland, a multinational that designs ingredients for the beauty industry.īut inroads are also being made into other markets including feed, said José Maria Pinilla, coordinator of OLEAF4VALUE. The project wants to increase the level to 15% with the help of Oleícola El Tejar, a Spanish farm cooperative that already handles an equivalent percentage of the world’s supply of olive pulp, pits and leaves. Olive leaves contain antioxidants, anti-inflammatories and antimicrobials, which – like olive-oil residue – could be used in food supplements, pharmaceuticals, beauty products and animal feed.Ĭurrently, only about 0.2% of the world’s residual olive leaves find commercial uses, according to OLEAF4VALUE. Olive-tree leaves, which are normally left to rot in groves or burnt for energy, also have significant commercial potential.Ī second EU-funded project coordinated from Spain, OLEAF4VALUE, has brought together scientists, multinational companies and olive farmers to develop uses for leaves in a range of products. ![]() One of the main obstacles to turning biowaste into new products is creating the demand and building the supply chains to meet it. Other products include soluble fibre to boost digestive health, drinks made from olive water and fats that can be used as skin moisturisers.Īlthough UP4HEALTH includes several small and medium-sized food and nutraceutical businesses testing the products, it wants to attract large multinational companies that could create enough demand to scale. ISANATUR is already selling powder made from olive pulp – which is rich in iron, proteins and antioxidants – for use in snack bars and food supplements. ![]() Run from Spain, Europe’s top producer of olive oil, the project brings together participants determined to end olive waste. He was interim coordinator of UP4HEALTH, which began in mid-2020 and is due to continue until end-May 2024. ‘Thousands of tonnes of natural products are not being used and we are missing out on the opportunity to eat these healthy compounds,’ said Román. Thousands of tonnes of natural products are not being used.Ĭompanies in Europe are developing ways to tap into this rich source of ingredients so they can be used in health and beauty products, food supplements and animal feed. While olive oil has been called ‘liquid gold’ for millennia because of its many health benefits, the residue is also packed full of goodness. The worldwide olive oil market is worth nearly €13 billion, according to Fortune Business Insights. Global annual production of olive oil totals about 3 million tonnes, of which 2 million tonnes are in Europe. ‘What is needed is a market willing to use the products – the olive powder, olive water, olive seed,’ said Román, former coordinator of an EU-funded project developing ways to transform the entire residue into commercial goods. Only about 25% of an olive is used for the prized oil, with the remaining pulp, pits and water ending up in landfills or being turned into fertiliser. Román is co-founder of ISANATUR, a Spanish company that has built a refinery able to turn every part of an olive into a commercial product of some kind. ![]() Olive oil is a multibillion-euro global business and Manuel Román is determined to create an even bigger market from the sacred ancient fruit. ![]()
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