2020: Phenoliva – olive pomace, a source of valuable polyphenols

Design EIT Food Phenoliva aims to implement an integrated management concept for waste generated during olive oil production. Olive pomace is a valuable source of high levels of antioxidants, making it a valuable byproduct of the olive oil extraction process. However, it is currently considered waste.

As part of the project, olive oil antioxidants are extracted from olive pomace using a new process, and the resulting extract is processed into an innovative food-grade antioxidant. In addition to antioxidants, the developed process also produces oils, biogas, irrigation water, and biochar from olive pomace.

Phenoliva project assumptions:

1. Full circulation of the production process

The European Green Deal initiative emphasizes the importance of adapting business practices to achieve a sustainable future for all industries. The Phenoliva project will develop and pilot an innovative system for managing side streams generated during olive oil production, contributing to the achievement of the European Green Deal's objectives. Phenoliva uses the remaining biomass to produce biogas, water for irrigation, and ultimately as a valuable soil improver. The advantage of the developed system, which enables a fully circular production process, is its ease of integration and configuration into existing production infrastructure.

2. Creating new business opportunities for the agricultural sector

The Phenoliva project will develop a business model that will present olive oil producers (including those producing on a small and medium scale) with the advantages of implementing full circulation into the production process.

3. Obtaining a new source of antioxidants for food

Olive antioxidants are among the most powerful natural antioxidants known to date. The goal of the Phenoliva project is to provide the food processing industry with a new ingredient that offers high technical parameters (stability, efficiency, activity) and cost competitiveness.

Partners in the PHENOLIVA project: Treatment and valorization of olive mill wastes – Application of olive polyphenols to food:

• ETH Zurich
• Maspex Group
• Tymbark
• Lubella
• The Instituto de la Grasa CSIC
• El Instituto de Agricultura Sostenible CSIC
• Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV
• RethinkResource
• Acesur
• Puratos