The valorisation of rest streams by vinegar making
The province of Flevoland in the Netherlands produces large quantities of vegetable crops, however a small fraction cannot be sold because of supermarket requirements based on their shape or size. This desk based study looked into the conversion of these streams for the production of vinegar. Several crops were considered as feed stock including carrots, onions, potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, pumpkin, cabbage, apples, pears and beetroot. Ultimately beetroot was selected for further analysis due to its relatively high sugar content, production volume and lack of existing valorisation opportunities. Information on quantity and quality of a red beet stream was supplied by the organic vegetable growing company Van Andel Bio. The sugar from the beetroot would be converted to vinegar by a two stage fermentation (sugar-ethanol-acetic acid). Market trends favoured high quality vinegars, with consumer preferences for products that are premium and gourmet. Other creative product applications included production of chutney, salad dressing and pickling.
Main results: suitability assessment/flowchart of crops for vinegar production, estimate of vinegar production volume, consumer preferences and trends, information on laws and regulations in the vinegar market. Additional sugar needs to be added to beetroot to achieve sufficient acetic acid percentage. Beetroot vinegar may have an earthy taste.
Practical recommendations: case study on how to identify suitable product streams to use as a feedstock for value added products (vinegar), use remaining solid waste (that is safe) as animal feed.
MAINSTREAMing small-scale BIO-based solutions across rural Europe via regional Multi-actor Innovation Platforms and tailored innovation support
Completed | 2022-2025
- Main funding source
- Horizon Europe (EU Research and Innovation Programme)
- Geographical location
- Bulgaria, Denmark, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Greece, Belgium