NEWS

New project in progress! Natac is part of the GO AGUACAVALUE Operative Group which aims to add value to avocado by-products for animal feed, nutraceuticals and cosmetics

The Functional Food Research and Development Center (CIDAF) coordinates this innovative research project that brings together leading companies and entities: Grupo La Caña, Frumaco, Natac Biotech, Macob and Agri-food Cooperatives of Andalucía-Granada.

Agro-food and circular bioeconomy come together in this project of the AGUACAVALUE Operative Group, promoted by the Functional Food Research and Development Center (CIDAF), and participated by very innovative companies and entities, committed to an efficient and sustainable agriculture. These are Grupo La Caña, specialist in the fruit and vegetable sector (Granada); Frumaco, dedicated to the elaboration of avocado derivatives, headed by SAT Trops (Málaga); Agri-food Cooperatives of Andalucía-Granada, entity that agglutinates Andalusian agrarian cooperatives; Natac Biotech, specialized in R&D, industrial production and commercialization of natural ingredients of plant origin; and Macob, dedicated to the manufacture of feed.
 
These companies and entities are launching this ambitious project dedicated to the valorization of avocado by-products for animal feed, nutraceuticals, and cosmeceuticals. Two lines of research will be executed. On the one hand, the use of avocado by-products (skin and seeds) for the manufacture of animal feed with high nutritional value, enriched in bioactive compounds with beneficial properties for the animal’s health. On the other hand, the development of cosmetics and nutraceuticals of high added-value from avocado will be investigated.
 
With this project, GO AGUACAVALUE will transform avocado residues, a fruit with many beneficial properties, into products of optimum quality. This valorization will allow a more efficient use of natural resources, mitigating the impact of its growing demand and decreasing the environmental impact.
 
Spain produces 91,000 tons of avocado -93% of the European production- mainly in the provinces of Málaga and Granada. As a result of this activity, about 2,000 tons of seeds and skin are discarded, which potentially may be used as a source of bioactive compounds with added value. In this way, AGUACAVALUE meets the objectives of the European Association for Innovation in terms of agricultural productivity and sustainability.
 
 
An interprovincial project
 
This circular economy project, which will run for two years, takes its first steps backed by specialized companies from the sectors involved in the value chain. Integrated by members from Andalucía and Madrid who operate mostly internationally, the coordination of this project is carried out from Granada, where CIDAF is located, a technological center that operates at a national level in the research and development of ingredients and functional foods. In addition, CIDAF is in charge of the characterization and evaluation of the bioactive compounds present in the by-products and the selection of the optimal components in final products.
 
The companies Grupo La Caña and Frumaco, companies of international reference in the production and commercialization of avocado, will provide the raw material to the investigation with the appropriate treatment. This project represents an opportunity for both companies to increase the environmental sustainability of production processes.
 
On the other hand, Natac Biotech will contribute with its experience in the manufacture of natural components for cosmetics and Macob will carry out the tasks of development of the pellets elaborated with the by-products. Agri-food Cooperatives of Andalucía-Granada will disseminate the experiences in the agrarian, livestock, and cosmetic sector, exposing the economic and environmental advantages derived from its implementation. The CSIC also collaborates in this project, carrying out the tests of animal feed in the Experimental Station of Zaidín.
 
This operational group is part of the National Program for Rural Development 2014-2020, financed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, through Royal Decree 170/2018, of March 23, by which the Royal Decree 253/2016 is modified.

This website is not aimed at consumers.

The information is accessible in several countries and can include statements or product classifications not applicable in your country. The claims mentioned refer only to ingredients and, therefore, do not refer to finished products.