project - Research and innovation

SHEALTHY - Non-Thermal physical technologies to preserve fresh and minimally processed fruit and vegetables
Non-Thermal physical technologies to preserve fresh and minimally processed fruit and vegetables

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Objectives

The project aims to respond to consumers’ demand for fresh, healthy, convenient, sustainable, locally produced and additive-free food by combining and modulating non-thermal technologies with minimally processing operations. The project assess and develop an optimal combination of non-thermal sanitization, preservation and stabilization methods improving the safety and preserving the nutritional and organoleptic quality, prolonging the shelf-life of fresh and minimally processed F&V products.

The combined and optimised mild technologies will be demonstrated and validated in 2 business cases: Minimally processed fruits and vegetables; Fruit and vegetable-based juices & smoothies.

Objectives

Obiettivo del progetto è di sviluppare combinazioni ottimali di tecnologie innovative per la sanificazione, preservazione e stabilizzazione di frutta e verdura fresca minimamente processata con scopo di migliorare la sicurezza alimentare, la qualità nutrizionale e allo stesso tempo preservare le qualità organolettiche, prolungando la shelf life.

A tal fine saranno combinate e modulate Mild Technologies (acqua elettrolizzata, acqua attivata al plasma, luce pulsata ad alta intensità, luce blu, rivestimenti bioattivi, imballaggi funzionali, trattamenti ad alta pressione, campi elettromagnetici ad impulso, filtrazione a membrana) che saranno validate e dimostrate in 2 business case.

Project details
Main funding source
Horizon 2020 (EU Research and Innovation Programme)
Horizon Project Type
Multi-actor project
Ort
Main geographical location
Napoli

EUR 6 955 758.00

Total budget

Total contributions including EU funding.

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1 Practice Abstracts

In order to assess the commercial feasibility of fruit and vegetables (FV) processed with non-thermal mild technologies (MT), we investigated consumers’ perception and possible barriers to acceptance of these technologies in six European countries (Denmark, Italy, Germany, Serbia, Spain, and the Netherlands). Lack of knowledge was identified as the major impediment to consumer acceptance, suggesting that targeted communication is necessary to enhance public awareness and trust towards FV treated with MT. Loss of taste and aroma were most frequently mentioned as concerns related to processing with MTs, followed by safety risks, higher price and environmental costs. Specific benefits of FV were found to be more relevant for consumer acceptance than processing information per se. Health and nutritional benefits were the most effective type of claims, so focusing on the possibility of better preservation of nutritional values by the use of MT should be emphasized in consumer communication. Better sensory quality, and more hygienic/safer products were other important benefits. Communicating about specific benefits from innovative technologies should increase acceptance and provide opportunities for differentiation, especially for FV derived products like juices. Use of package information and household storage and waste of FV was also studied. The findings indicated that consumers mostly discard FV due to the presence of mold or adverse sensory qualities upon visual inspection, confirming the potential of MT in reducing food waste, given that many MTs have antimicrobial effects. Lack of/insufficient knowledge of correct storage practices, and suboptimal package sizes were identified as additional reasons behind FV wastage.

In order to assess the commercial feasibility of fruit and vegetables (FV) processed with non-thermal mild technologies (MT), we investigated consumers’ perception and possible barriers to acceptance of these technologies in six European countries (Denmark, Italy, Germany, Serbia, Spain, and the Netherlands). Lack of knowledge was identified as the major impediment to consumer acceptance, suggesting that targeted communication is necessary to enhance public awareness and trust towards FV treated with MT. Loss of taste and aroma were most frequently mentioned as concerns related to processing with MTs, followed by safety risks, higher price and environmental costs. Specific benefits of FV were found to be more relevant for consumer acceptance than processing information per se. Health and nutritional benefits were the most effective type of claims, so focusing on the possibility of better preservation of nutritional values by the use of MT should be emphasized in consumer communication. Better sensory quality, and more hygienic/safer products were other important benefits. Communicating about specific benefits from innovative technologies should increase acceptance and provide opportunities for differentiation, especially for FV derived products like juices. Use of package information and household storage and waste of FV was also studied. The findings indicated that consumers mostly discard FV due to the presence of mold or adverse sensory qualities upon visual inspection, confirming the potential of MT in reducing food waste, given that many MTs have antimicrobial effects. Lack of/insufficient knowledge of correct storage practices, and suboptimal package sizes were identified as additional reasons behind FV wastage.

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