Description
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Innovation in high-convenience horticultural products aims toward 3 main directions: differentiate the products, increase convenience, and emphasize sensorial and nutritional aspects. Number of product types in the market is still limited, with an almost total prevalence of leafy vegetables. In addition, the degree of convenience and the longer shelf-life, determined a fast increase in the sales of lightly-processed products (V gamma).
The present Project, putting together 5 produces/processor companies, 5 supplier companies, and 4 R&D Institutions, aims to thoroughfully address those 3 market demands. It consists of 8 ORs including activities aimed to improve quality of existing products, and to develop new products/technologies.
In the first OR, related to improvements in cultural practices, fertigation methods will be developed in order to reduce nitrates content, increase shelf-life, and improve microbial safety. The possibility to extend production season will be also studied. Finally innovative greenhouse management systems will be implemented in terms of environmental parameters and irrigation.
The second OR aims to increase the number of species/cultivars which are presently used for fresh-cut production, by selecting genotypes according to their post-cutting performance (in terms of physiological, chemical, and physical responses) and to their sensorial and nutritional attributes.
OR3 aims to provide the industry with a valid tool for shelf-life prediction, based on the measurement of a single quality attribute. In addition prediction models will be developed of the residual nutritional value, based on the monitoring of appearance attributes.
In the OR4 the application of TiO2 structures (opportunely modified/activated) will be studied in order to reduce ethylene and microbial population in storage environments of the whole products before processing, or directly on fresh-cut products, through the development of mural coatings, the design of a photocathalytic reactor, and the surface modification of plastic films. In addition, always in order to reduce microbial load, ozone treatment protocols will be implemented.
The objective of OR5 is to develop packaging innovations. On one hand the use of non-conventional modified atmospheres will be optimized with the use of Argon and NO2, on the other, prototypes of active packaging films will be developed, together with biodegradable materials, in order to decrease environmental impact.
OR6 includes various product and process innovations: new products development will be aimed to increase functionality (pro-biotic and low-calories fruits and vegetables) and to expand the number and type of available fresh-cut products in the market; process innovation will be aimed to improve product quality through innovative anti-browning agents, a fast pathogen-detection system, a new dewatering system, and a new technology to improve foreign-body detection.
Within OR7 new technologies for juices/mousse production with high flavour and high-nutritional value, eliminating thermal treatments (use of cold and UV-C treatments), and using a new genotype with high nutraceutical value for new tomato-based products.
Finally the OR8 will develop a dehydration system, using energy saving air conditioning techniques, which will allow the production of high quality intermediate moisture fruits and vegetables.
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Distribution
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Advancement of distribution in %
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Total amount distributed
3,478,710.48 euro
NOP R&C distributed amount
3,448,440.48 euro
PAC distributed amount
0.00 euro
Amount distributed with other funds 30,270.00 euro
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