Health & Nutrition

Investigation of the nutritional quality and the interaction with the microbiota of new protein alternatives through the combination of new dynamic digestion technologies and Organ-on-Chip (OOC) intestinal modeling. The MICROGUT project aims to investigate the application of new OOC technologies for the recreation of the microenvironment of the human colon, including the microbiota and its interaction with the cellular and molecular component of the epithelium, optimising dynamic digestion systems to recreate the biochemical conditions in vitro, microstructure and fluidics of the three differentiated sections of the small intestine (duodenum, jejunum and ileum). MICROGUT will explore the [...]

Identification of new sources of plant protein, characterising their technological behaviour for the development of new plant-based foods. The main objective of the PROVEG project is to identify new sources of vegetable protein such as mushrooms, nuts or algae, among other co-products, derived from food industry processes. PROVEG will characterise the nutritional composition and technological behaviour of new plant protein sources, as well as develop different prototypes based on the plant protein ingredients studied within the framework of the project. Eurecat participates in this project through its Nutrition and Health Unit, responsible for the identification and [...]

Paradigm shift for a healthy and sustainable diet in schools through the empowerment of children and adolescents. The main goal of the SchoolFood4Change project is to provide systemic solutions for a healthy and sustainable diet by empowering children and adolescents in and around schools to fight against the increase of poverty and obesity. The implementation of different innovation teaching strategies are part of the concept specifically designed for the project: "Whole School Food Approach". Some examples of these strategies are involving farmers when providing food for school menus, establishing collaborations with all the stakeholders of the [...]

Development of tools, methodologies and educational strategies to encourage the consumption of a mediterranian diet in families with school-age children. The SWITCHtoHEALTHY project aims to increase the adherence to the Mediterranean diet of families with school-age children through tools and methodologies such as mobile applications, innovative educational strategies by participating schools and healthy snacks based on plant foods. SWITCHtoHEALTHY aims, in this way, to empower the citizens of the Mediterranean to make more informed decisions about the healthiest and most sustainable foods for their health and planet’s. Eurecat participates in the project through its Nutrition and [...]

Improvements in mycoremediation technology for the recovery of contaminated soils. The LIFE MySOIL project develops a competitive and innovative technology to demonstrate the feasibility of mycoremediation to full-scale configuration. Mycoremediation is a type of bioremediation that uses fungal inocula to degrade (or accumulate) pollutants. The advantage of mycoremediation is that it retains the benefits of bioremediation treatments, including low economic, social and environmental costs, while increasing the removal efficiencies up to similar figures of thermal desorption. Mycoremediation is a very widely studied technology at lab-scale and there exists a few experiences at bench-scale, a paucity of information [...]

Development of new alternative sources of animal feed to study the feasibility of obtaining feed and animal feed products for birds, based on alternative protein sources. The C3 Project formulates and develops animal feed products based on an alternative protein source such as insects. Moreover, the project aims to characterize in detail the nutrient composition of the by-products to identify and select those that allow maximum efficiency, and at the same time, optimize the by-product as a protein ingredient for the formulation of high biological value feed. The use of insects as an alternative protein represents [...]

Development and classification of new healthier food products According to the level of nutritional labelling Nutriscore. The NUTRISCORE project aims to improve the nutritional classification of meat derivatives defined by the participating companies to achieve a better position with respect to competing products in the consumer. For this, it will be based on the development of ingredient formulation strategies and adaptations of the manufacturing processes of the SAME ones. The main objectives of the project are: Diagnosis of the current situation of meat derivatives according to the visual nutritional classification system Nutriscore. Identification of opportunities to [...]

Creation of a dynamic ecosystem in digital health in Bages that generates a new model of more efficient and quality health and social care in the region, and that, at the same time, is exportable to other territories in a shared agenda format. The Specialization and Territorial Competitiveness Project (PECT) BAGESS “Big Data, Analytics, Management and Strategy in Health and Social”, has the objective of improving the quality of life and the social inclusion of people with dependency and chronic diseases, converting them into active agents of their own health. Additionally, the project promotes an economic [...]

Development of benign cascade extractive biorefinery for converting agri-food side streams into high-value polyphenolic bioactives and functional fibres for pharma, cosmeceuticals, nutraceuticals and food products. The PHENOLEXA product has the objective to unlock the potential of polyphenols-rich agri-side streams (olive, grape shoots and leaves, chicory, and onion residues) to procure bioactive compounds of high value via the development of cascade smart biorefinery which combines pretreatment of the biomass with benign environmentally friendly green solvents extraction technology. According to Eurostat, the agricultural sector is the biggest producer of the residual biomass in Europe, generating annually approximately 400 [...]

The Territorial Competitiveness Specialization Project Mataró-Maresme (PECT in its acronym in Spanish) is the materialization of the multiple strategies promoted, both at the municipal and regional levels, to implement the transformation of the territory through the construction of a model of smart, sustainable and economic growth. integrator. The PECT Mataró-Maresme “Ecosystem of innovation for caregiving cities”, has the objective of developing and implementing in the territory new models and innovative solutions focused on the accompaniment of active aging and the care of people in situations of fragility or dependence. To achieve this, it carries out processes [...]

Innovative neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence technologies applied to the design of new food products. The CIEN CONOCE project applies disruptive technologies in the field of neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, with the aim of deepening the consumer’s knowledge and perception of multisensory stimuli, developing innovative food products adapted to their needs and preferences. The solution promoted by the project allows to better understand the consumer, their needs and their responses to a new product in different consumption contexts and, on the other hand, to analyse how these responses can be parameterised to include them systematically in a [...]

New product of natural origin which acts as a salty taste enhancer. The Salt4Health project has the objective to develop a new product of natural origin that can be used as a salty flavour enhancer and able to avoid the antihypertensive effects of salt. Nowadays, the increased production of prepared food, together with the new rhythms of life, are transforming in a very important manner the dietary patterns of society. Additionally, the offer of ultra-processed food, most of it with excessive levels of salt, is increasingly high and accessible. All this has caused that the consumption [...]

Network of omics technologies applied to innovation and industrial development of nutraceutical and functional foods. The Red TecnomiFood project, coordinated by Eurecat, aims to integrate omics technologies to facilitate the access to these tecnologies to the food industry and to optimise their use, at all stages of the value chain of the design and biological assessment of ingredients, nutraceuticals and functional foods. Currently, the use of omics sciences in the food industry is essential to face the trend towards personalisation of nutritional recommendations and to promote health, maintenance and optimisation of physiological functions and disease prevention. [...]

Development of smart foods and nutritional supplements to improve health, well-being and the quality of life of people with risk to suffer multi-factor pathologies and chronic diseases. The SMARTFOODS project has designed and developed smart foods and nutritional supplements to introduce them in a balanced diet with the aim to reduce and prevent the risk to suffer the most common chronic diseases, like diabetes, cancer, obesity or cardiovascular diseases. The main innovation of the project consists in going beyond functional foods that boost only-one health property available today and moving towards smart foods. The goal is [...]

New ingredients, food supplements and medical foods capable of positively influence the health of people at risk of developing colorectal cancer (CRC) or who are diagnosed and undergoing therapy. The CIEN TERÁTROFO project investigates and experimentally develops new food consumption products and more effective, safe and beneficial ingredients to prevent the risk to suffer colorectal cancer (CRC), as well as positively contribute to the nutritional response to CRC treatment, in order to alleviate possible secondary nutritional deficits of the treatment and improve the quality of life, the nutritional status and the well-being of the patients, thus [...]