When factories press olives for oil or squeeze oranges for juice, mountains of leftover pulp, seeds and skins get thrown away. Pro-Enrich figured out how to crack open those leftovers — from rapeseed, olives, tomatoes and citrus fruits — and pull out useful stuff like plant proteins, natural antioxidants, fibers and pigments. Think of it like mining gold from what everyone else calls garbage. Those extracted ingredients can then go into food products, pet food, skin creams and even industrial glues, giving waste streams a second profitable life.
target application sectors (food, pet food, cosmetics, adhesives)
17
total project deliverables
The business problem
What needed solving
Every year, millions of tonnes of rapeseed meal, olive pomace, tomato skins and citrus peels are discarded as waste by the food processing industry. These residues contain valuable proteins, antioxidants, fibres and pigments that companies in food, cosmetics, pet food and adhesives desperately need — but extracting them at quality and scale has been the bottleneck. Meanwhile, demand for plant-based proteins and natural ingredients keeps climbing, and prices for conventional sources keep rising.
The solution
What was built
Pro-Enrich built a flexible biorefinery process that extracts proteins, polyphenols, dietary fibres and pigments from 4 agricultural waste streams (rapeseed, olives, tomatoes, citrus). Pilot-scale demonstration products were produced and delivered to industrial end users for market testing, covering food, pet food, cosmetics and adhesive applications, supported by life-cycle and safety assessments for regulatory compliance.
Audience
Who needs this
Plant-based protein ingredient manufacturers looking for new raw material sourcesCosmetics companies seeking natural polyphenol and pigment alternatives to synthetic additivesPet food producers needing cost-effective alternative protein ingredientsAdhesive manufacturers exploring bio-based formulations to replace petrochemical inputsFood processing companies wanting to monetize their own agricultural waste streams
Business applications
Who can put this to work
Food & Beverage Manufacturing
mid-size
Target: Food ingredient suppliers and plant-based protein manufacturers
If you are a food ingredient company struggling to source affordable plant-based proteins — this project developed extraction processes for rapeseed, olive, tomato and citrus fruit side streams that deliver functional proteins and dietary fibres validated at pilot scale. Demonstration products were produced and delivered to industrial end users for market testing across 4 feedstock types. With 18 consortium partners including 11 industry players, the recipes are designed for real production lines, not just labs.
Cosmetics & Personal Care
SME
Target: Natural cosmetics formulators and ingredient suppliers
If you are a cosmetics company looking for natural polyphenols and pigments to replace synthetic additives — this project extracted and purified these compounds from olive, tomato and citrus processing waste. Pilot-scale products were delivered to industrial end users for testing and market validation. The biorefinery approach processes 4 different agricultural residues, giving you supply flexibility across seasons and geographies.
Pet Food Manufacturing
any
Target: Pet food producers seeking alternative protein sources
If you are a pet food manufacturer facing rising costs for conventional protein sources — this project developed plant-based protein ingredients from rapeseed meal and other agri-food side streams, tested at pilot scale and delivered to end users for market evaluation. The consortium includes 10 SMEs and ran 2 dedicated business model workshops to ensure commercial viability of the biorefinery outputs.
Frequently asked
Quick answers
What would these bio-based ingredients cost compared to conventional alternatives?+
The project ran 2 business model workshops specifically to assess commercial viability of the biorefinery outputs. Since the feedstocks are agricultural waste streams (rapeseed meal, olive pomace, tomato and citrus residues), raw material costs should be significantly lower than purpose-grown crops. Exact pricing data is not publicly available — contact us for a detailed briefing.
Can this scale to industrial production volumes?+
Pro-Enrich produced pilot-scale products that were delivered to industrial end users for analysis and market testing across all 4 feedstock types. The project advanced extraction technologies from TRL 2 through to TRL 4/5. Full industrial scale-up would require further engineering, but the pilot validation with real end users is a strong foundation.
How is the intellectual property structured — can I license these processes?+
The consortium of 18 partners across 7 countries developed these technologies under an EU BBI-RIA grant. IP is typically shared among consortium members according to their contribution. Licensing arrangements would need to be negotiated with the technology owners, primarily the research institutes and industrial partners involved.
Which specific products were actually tested with real companies?+
Demonstration products were produced and delivered to industrial end users for market testing based on all 4 feedstocks: olives, rapeseed, tomatoes and citrus fruits. These covered food ingredients, pet food, cosmetics and adhesive applications. The deliverables confirm both first pilot-scale and final demonstration products were delivered to industry.
What regulatory approvals would be needed to use these ingredients?+
The project produced detailed life-cycle, socio-economic and safety assessments specifically to facilitate regulatory compliance and guide consumer acceptance. For food and cosmetics applications in the EU, Novel Food or cosmetics ingredient approvals may apply depending on the specific extract. The safety assessment work done in the project provides a head start on regulatory dossiers.
How long would it take to integrate these ingredients into my product line?+
The project ran from May 2018 to October 2021 and reached TRL 4/5. With pilot-scale products already tested by industrial end users, integration timelines depend on your specific application. Food and cosmetics applications typically require 12-24 months for reformulation, testing and regulatory clearance after technology transfer.
Consortium
Who built it
Pro-Enrich has one of the strongest industry-driven consortiums you'll find in EU research: 11 out of 18 partners (61%) come from industry, and 10 are SMEs. This is not an academic exercise — the project was built around companies that actually process biomass, manufacture food ingredients, formulate cosmetics, and produce pet food. Coordinated by Denmark's Teknologisk Institut, the 7-country partnership (DE, DK, EL, ES, FR, SI, UK) covers major European agricultural processing regions. With 2 dedicated business model workshops and demonstration products delivered directly to industrial end users for market testing, the consortium was clearly designed to move results toward commercial reality, not just publish papers.
Teknologisk Institut (Danish Technological Institute), Denmark — a major applied research organization. Contact their biorefinery or food technology division.
Want to know exactly which extraction process fits your product line and how to license it? SciTransfer can connect you directly with the right consortium partner — request a briefing.
