About us
Objectives
The general objective is to promote consumers’ lifestyle choices, valorizing the Mediterranean healthy diet concept, improving its current perception not only as a healthy diet but also as a sustainable lifestyle model, taking into account the identity and diversity of food cultures and systems across the MD regions.
The project tackles this objective by applying innovative activities, applying green technologies, respecting the environmental sustainability of olive oil production in compliance with the needs of the most relevant socio-economic sector of Mediterranean countries.
The project aims to apply a consolidated procedure based on the use of selected microbial pools, at an industrial scale, in at least five companies of Mediterranean countries.
In detail, a multiple sequential approach system will be applied to increase the acceptability of innovative foods among young people, thanks to the de-bittering action of selected strains and the consumption of table olives, thanks to the reduction of salt and the addition of a commercial cholesterol-lowering probiotic strain.
The overall objective is to be accomplished through the following sub-objectives
O.1.
Low salt fermentation of olives by commercial cholesterol-lowering probiotic strain
O.2.
Formulation/reformulation of olive oil- and olive-based food products
O.3.
Valorization of by-products of olive oil extraction by selected microbial pools for a biological de-bittering process and addition of probiotic selected strains
O.4.
Formulation of an antifungal spray based on olive oil by-products in order to overcome the microbial spoilage of olive products during storage
O.5.
Use of non-thermal techniques like high hydrostatic pressure, cold plasma in order to overcome the microbial spoilage of olive products during shelf life
O.6.
Investigating the health benefits of olive-based products
O.7.
Definition of a communication strategy for raising awareness on healthy diet behaviour, encouraging the audiences to contribute to collective sensing
O.8.
Developing product-based business models adapted to country specificities based on assessed market receptivity