ISANATUR SPAIN SL

Their core work

ISANATUR is a Spanish SME specializing in the extraction and valorization of bioactive compounds from agri-food by-products — particularly olives, grapes, and nuts. They develop natural, health-promoting ingredients (polyphenols, prebiotics, functional extracts) for the food and nutraceutical industries. Their work bridges biorefinery processing with end-product formulation, turning agricultural waste streams into high-value functional ingredients. More recently, they have expanded into alternative protein sources from legumes and macroalgae for animal feed and human nutrition.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

ISANATUR's early H2020 work (2015) centered on olive processing — extracting health-beneficial compounds through eco-friendly methods (EcoPROLIVE). By 2020, their scope widened significantly: they moved from single-crop valorization to multi-source biorefineries (olives, grapes, nuts in UP4HEALTH) and branched into entirely new territory with alternative proteins from macroalgae and legumes (ALEHOOP). The trajectory shows a clear shift from niche olive bioactives toward a broader circular bioeconomy portfolio spanning functional foods, prebiotics, and sustainable animal feed.

ISANATUR is expanding from olive-only expertise toward a diversified portfolio in sustainable proteins and circular food ingredients — expect them to seek partners in algae processing, protein digestibility testing, and animal nutrition trials.

How they like to work

ISANATUR operates comfortably in both roles: they coordinated UP4HEALTH (their largest project at EUR 863K) while participating in two other consortia. With 27 unique partners across 10 countries, they maintain a broad European network rather than relying on a small circle of repeat collaborators. Their consistent involvement in Innovation Actions (all three projects are IAs) signals they are application-oriented — focused on bringing results closer to market rather than purely exploratory research.

ISANATUR has built a network of 27 partners across 10 European countries through just 3 projects, indicating they join well-populated consortia. Their network is food-sector focused with a strong Southern European anchor, consistent with agri-food valorization supply chains.

What sets them apart

ISANATUR sits at the intersection of agricultural waste valorization and functional food ingredient production — a practical position that makes them valuable to both waste-generating agri-businesses and ingredient-seeking food manufacturers. Their hands-on experience coordinating UP4HEALTH demonstrates they can lead multi-partner biorefinery projects, not just contribute to them. For consortium builders, they offer a rare SME profile: deep domain knowledge in Mediterranean crop by-products combined with proven coordination capability.

Highlights from their portfolio

• UP4HEALTH
  Their largest project (EUR 863K) and only coordination role — upcycling olive, grape, and nut by-products into prebiotics and polyphenol-rich ingredients, running through 2024.
• ALEHOOP
  Marks their strategic expansion into alternative proteins from macroalgae and legumes for both human food and animal feed — a significant diversification from their olive roots.