VALORAFOOD consists of an operational group coordinated by the Foodservice Cluster that continues the work carried out by the Llotja de Futurs project. The participants of this operating group are IRTA, RADI S.L, SERHS FOOD, GUSTOS MERITEM and PESCADOS PUIGNAU.
The VALORAFOOD project aims to get to know the fishing and industrial sector of fish processing. Its focus is to identify the real surpluses that fish processing companies have and to design guidelines to revalue the surpluses in the form of new products previously agreed upon. All this is carried out through meetings, visits, focus groups and immersive workshops, among others.
However, before focusing efforts on the development of innovative products with a high nutritional value, it is necessary to know several challenges that are currently unknown to most:
- The quantification of the surpluses of the species to be valued.
- The quantification of the volumes, regularity, and specialization of the different species to be revalued.
- The productive design of the different products to be valued according to the selected species: formula, processing, storage, etc.
- Characteristics that the product should have to be used with Pulse Combustion Dryer technology or others.
- Technical and economic feasibility of the designed products.
Fresh prawn carpaccio, fish burgers, fish sausages, sauces, blue crab powder, pâtés and dry products for instant soups, are some examples of valued products that the consortium has.
Regarding the creation of the new products, these will not only be intended for commercial catering, but also for schools, hospitals, and residences, where there will also be an improvement in nutritional value to prepare dishes for patients with dysphagia and other related diseases.
Innovation is the basis of this project, which seeks to promote the sector with useful, low-emission products that guarantee sustainable development of the coast, as well as increased competitiveness and diversification of the sector.
Within the framework of this operating group, we see an opportunity to create a HUB of knowledge and transformation of surpluses with by-products by other consortia and help the sustainability of certain low-productivity groups.
For more details about the project, you can access here.
