Eurecat works with companies to achieve healthy ingredients and foods with sustainable and intelligent processes
CONTACT
Clara Rafel París
Project Manager Food Industry
Tel. +34 649 575 750
clara.rafel[at]eurecat.org
Carol Benedi
Business Development Manager Food Industry
Tel. +34 618 414 270
carol.benedi[at]eurecat.org
Eurecat is a private technology center that integrates capacities and experience in food and health, biotechnology, industrial technologies and digitization.
The center collaborates with the food industry in activities and R + D + ii projects offers advanced scientific and technological services to develop new ingredients and foods according to preferences and consumer welfare and taking into account key factors of production Food, with new models and advanced technologies that allow the improvement of agri-food products and processes.
Food industry 4.0, connected, intelligent, flexible and sustainable, aimed at creating value in healthy, convenient and safe food products for informed, digital consumers and aware of the relationship between nutrition and health.
Offering
SERVICES PROVIDED EURECAT TO THE FOOD COMPANY IN NUTRITION AND HEALTH:
1. Product Concept and Design
- Design and formulation of healthy products adapted to the different types of target consumers. Personalized nutrition.
- Search for new ingredients. Cheminformatics.
- Identification and characterization of probiotics, effects on microbiota.
- Identification of bioactive compounds in complex natural extracts.
- Clean labels.
Success story:
SMARTFOODS, INTELLIGENT NUTRITION TO FACE COMPLEX CHALLENGES
We support the development and validation of the efficacy of smart foods that combine different bioactive ingredients, acting in a multifactorial way on different targets, targets, and thus reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer or obesity.
Success story: CITRUS
Eurecat carries out a study to determine the healthy effects of orange juice consumption on blood pressure in more than 250 people following an international tender involving producers from USA, Brazil, and Europe.
2. Validation of Healthy Effect
- Scientific strategy in stages to validate the healthy effect of the product on consumers.
- Preclinical studies of their biological effectiveness (in vitro and in vivo). Validation of the biological effectiveness of a food and its bioactive components using cellular models (in vitro) and animal models (in vivo).
- Clinical nutritional intervention studies.
- Studies on the mechanisms
Omic sciences at the service of the food industry
Eurecat puts the Centre for Omic Sciences (COS) at the service of companies. COS is a scientific facility owned by Rovira i Virgili University, equipped with cutting edge equipment and technologies in the fields of metabolomics, proteomics, transcriptomics and genomics, to substantiate the health effects and the mechanisms of action through which these are produced, and advance towards personalized nutrition.
3. Food Technology and Safety
- Design and validation of new food products (with specific technological functionality).
- Microbiological quality and food safety (fungus and mycotoxins analyses).
- Study of physicochemical properties, rheological properties (texture parameters and emulsion stability) and sensorial properties in food throughout its production process and/or improvement of these.
- Pilot plant to develop and optimize food products.
- Specific plant for pre-cooked, ready-to-eat, convenience foods.
- Alternative technologies to heat: electrical pulses, light pulses, modified atmosphere, a combination of techniques.
- Shelf-life and accelerated shelf-life studies.
- Sensorial analysis of foods: specific training and consumer testing.
4. Toxicity and Ecotoxicity Studies
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Novel Foods.
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Toxicity Studies:
• Determination of acute oral toxicity in rodents (OECD 425).
• Determination of subchronic oral toxicity of repeated doses (90 days) in rodents (OECD 408).
• In vitro detection of micronucleus (genotoxicity) in mammal cells (OECD 487).
• Detection of mutagenicity through the bacteria reverse mutation test (Ames Test). Method based on OECD 471.
• Determination of the sensitivity of a microbiological agent towards exposure to external agents (Kirby-Bauer Method).
• Evaluation of the bactericidal activity of porous and non-porous materials according to the OECD guide ENV/JM/MONO(2014)18.
• Determination of degree/pathway of biodegradation of a substance by transformation in soil according to OECD guide 307. Monitoring of 13C-marked substances. Study conducted in accordance with the principles set out in the Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) (in process of accreditation).
Success Story: Mobilee, the first Novel Food in Spain
Roaster comb extract was approved by the European Commission as a new food ingredient and was the first Novel Food approved in a Spanish company. It is an ingredient that is rich in hyaluronic acid, collagen, and polysaccharides, and has proven positive effects on mobility and joint health. Eurecat conducted a nutritional study in order to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the ingredient in a dairy matrix.
5. Packaging.
We apply Eurecat’s different areas of knowledge in order to improve or optimize the properties of the packaging:
- Water-repellent and antibacterial properties.
- Functional packaging using printed electronics.
- Integrated with environmental conditions sensors.
- Traceability, RFID labels.
- Apps and software for geographical distribution studies and consumption and consumers profiling.
- Optimized design to avoid degradation (scuffing, etc.).
We develop integral packaging: from the creation of the concept and prototype to the industrialization stage.
6. Agriculture and Farming 4.0
We incorporate technology in agri-food processes.
- Engineering tests and services on agricultural machinery.
- Reinforcement of electronics applicable to agricultural environments.
- Connection of machinery to internet and advanced data analytics.
- Integrated, multi-location systems for improved management and decision-making.
- Adoption of and conversion to interoperable environments.
- Creation of predictive maintenance services.
7. Circular Economy and Sustainability
Industrial Ecology and Environmental Impact
- Waste minimization.
- Complex waste management.
- Valorisation of by-products, recycling schemes and reduced raw material use..
- Life-cycle, cost cycle and water footprint analysis.
- Industrial symbiosis.
- Analysis of applying renewable technologies in waste treatment.
Integral Water Cycle
- Optimization and validation of technologies, chemical and physical treatments, and biological water treatments.
- Regeneration and recycling systems for wastewater, Advanced filtration, membranes.
- Sustainable water management and reduction in water use.
Eurecat and Grupo Inclam have created the WatEner company, which incorporates artificial intelligence into the management of distribution networks.
This new technological solution is based on artificial intelligence techniques and automatic learning and responds to market needs in favour of greater water and energy efficiency in the management of distribution networks. (http://watener.com)
Remediation of Soil and Groundwater
- Development, optimization, and validation of groundwater treatment technologies and contaminated soil.
- Evaluation of the impact of chemical compounds on human health and ecosystems, Chemical risk analysis (RD 9/2005).
Energy Efficiency and Batteries
- Energy efficiency analysis of equipment and energy recovery.
- Analysis of the use of renewable technologies in the industrial energy mix.
- Monitored micro-network with management system, capacity studies for integrating power generation (photovoltaic and micro-wind), battery bank and programmable charging.
8. Food Industry 4.0
- Smart management systems, connected and efficient industry, production digitalization.
- Management, monitoring and control platforms, sensor systems.
- Solutions for digital security (cybersecurity) of equipment, facilities, and devices.
- Quality control of production processes: artificial vision, laser scanner, thermography, physiochemical and microbiological analysis, image control.
- Virtual reality, augmented reality.
- Advanced automation solutions: autonomous robotics (aerial and ground vehicles, navigation) and industrial robotics (robotic cells, tooling design, collaborative robotics, modelling and simulation).
- Modelling and simulation of products and processes: Simulation applied to mechanics, heat transfer, fluid dynamics and electromagnetism.
- Solutions for materials (metals, plastics, ceramics, composites) for packaging and equipment; identification and mitigation of degradation ((bio)corrosion, pitting, galvanic corrosion, abrasion, etc.) and proposal for solutions (coatings, inhibitors, etc.) to reduce maintenance costs.
- Traceability applications.
- Additive manufacturing, 3D printing.
- Continuous training in 4.0 technologies.
9. Valuation and marketing of products and technologies.
- Obtaining patents for extracts and compounds for certain uses and pathologies, licensing, etc.
- Guidance on ingredients and nutritional and health claims: adding value to the product with each ingredient.
- Drafting scientific texts together with the company to be published in dissemination platforms or scientific journals.
- Elaboration of ingredient data sheets.
- Specialized training. Technology watch.
Success story:
ALIMENTASE
Eurecat has advised over 30 Spanish companies through inter-cluster projects on labelling strategy in relation to nutritional and health claims.
At Eurecat, we drive the food industry’s activity forward to create opportunities and strengthen its potential within Catalonia’s economy. Our experience includes national and international R&D&I project management, and we support companies in the internationalisation of their research and innovation activities.
EQUIPMENT
MORE SUCCESS STORIES
Grape
Precision agriculture is a key issue for robotics. In recent years, the incursion of robotics in agriculture is becoming in a reality and currently, robotics is not only used for crop control, as in the case of aerial inspection for growth control, but it takes a key role in the daily life of farmers and producers.
Fiberox
From Reus headquarters, Eurecat has studied hazelnut skin commissioned by the Unió cooperative. Due to its composition, rich in polyphenols, it was decided to expand the research and took the opportunity to analyse if this hazelnut skin has beneficial effects on cardiovascular metabolism.
Ecorkwaste
LIFE ECORKWASTE project has the objective of valuing the waste generated by the cork industry, through the use of wastewater treatment in the wine sector and its use as fuel to generate electricity.
Interacciona
Design and manufacturing of intelligent labels powered by NFC technology. These labels are thought to be used in wine and liquor bottles, and to develop an electronic control and feeding circuit for the labels designed for a large-scale distribution.
Waterp
Within the framework of the WatERP project, researchers have developed and deployed an open management platform that allows the integration of all the knowledge related to the supply and demand of water within the supply and distribution cycle. A complete and integrated view of water production and consumption will enable the supply and distribution systems to be viewed in a comprehensive and personalized way, allowing a more effective integral management of water resources (IWRM).
Agritech Big Data
Agritech Big Data is an initiative led by Eurecat and the University of Lleida, with the purpose to promote the application of Big Data technologies in agri-food sector companies and to achieve a direct impact on their business.
Tolera
Industrial research of new ingredients, foods, technologies and safety in the field of food allergies and intolerances.