EXtraction of BIOproducts from OPuntia Ficus indica Scraps
The project aims at the enhancement and reuse of by-products and waste from Sicilian prickly pear production, to obtain new bioproducts with high added value such as pectins, betanins and oils that can be used in different sectors as cosmetics, nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, detergents, food and beverage. In addition, the aim is to guide the partner farms in a management modernization process and to introduce an innovative process for traceability. With a view to circular economy, the reuse of prickly pear scraps for the creation of new products can generate an increase in company profit.
The project, with joint marketing mix and economic validation actions, aims to introduce and develop a green industrial extraction process of bioproducts such as pectins, betanins and oils from fresh prickly pear waste (peel and seeds), through new production methods for the sector, with a real "Shared transformation laboratory". In addition, farms will be guided and involved in a process of managing modernization of product traceability and of environmental sustainability by the introduction of innovative irrigation management with the use of residual mucilage as natural fertilizers.
Pectins, betanins and essential oils are a recent opportunity for the valorisation of prickly pears waste, a production around 90% localized in Sicily and currently mainly oriented towards fresh fruit consumption. The extraction of pectins, dyes and oils constitutes a concrete opportunity to support the profitability of the regional production system, as it can offer new opportunities for enhancing the fruits of low market value, otherwise intended to become waste.
No industrial process is available which, starting from a discarded or unsuitable product for marketing, generates with a ""pig like"" criterion the extraction of all the useful elements suitable for an exchange market.
A process and product innovation that concerns the enhancement and reuse of prickly pear production / processing waste. A "Shared transformation laboratory" will be created, for a green industrial extraction process, from prickly pear peels,with an unprecedented microwave system already used and tested in the laboratory during the studies produced, to obtain pectins and dyes with high added value.. The process is completely innovative as it has not been implemented on an industrial scale in order to obtain a standardized product, there are no pectins and dyes extracted from prickly pear on the market. Overall, the process is suitable, with the guarantee of appreciable economies of scale, to extract and characterize valuable quantities of pectins, dyes (betanins), seed oil, mucilage and concentrated juice from the prickly pear fruit, with a fair biological value.
The introduction of technological innovation, from the management point of view, concerns the traceability of the product which will lead to the establishment of a portal connected to the project website containing all the information to which the final consumer can also access for traceability purposes and as proof of production and product quality. Farms will be guided and involved in the management modernization process of traceability to innovate and computerize and allow better business management.
Introduction of innovative irrigation managing methods in the participant farms, and the use of residual mucilage from prickly pear waste as natural fertilizers, for the purpose of better environmental management.
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Sito web del progetto
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Sito web
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Evento EbioScart del 31 maggio a Roma
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Layman’s Report italiano/inglese
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Manuale divulgativo dell’innovazione del progetto EbioScart
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Le newsletter di EBIOSCART – GO FICO
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La brochure del EBIOSCART – GO FICO
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Pagina web sul sito dell'Università di Catania
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La pagina facebook del progetto
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EBioScart Go Fico: in onda su Tg2 a Sì Viaggiare
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EBioScart Go Fico: in onda su Tg2 a Tutto il Bello che c’è
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EBioScart presente al Fruit Logistic di Berlino 2022.
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Seminario di presentazione del progetto EBioScart GO-FICO
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EBioScart – GO FICO presso Santa Margherita di Belice (AG) dal titolo “La valorizzazione degli scarti agricoli nella Valle del Belice. Il case history ficodindicolo.”
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EBioScart – GO FICO presso il comune di Roccapalumba (PA) dal titolo “La valorizzazione degli scarti agricoli nei Monti Sicani. Il case history ficodindicolo.”
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L’intervento in onda su Tgr Rai Sicilia parla di noi!
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EBioscart illustrato all’assessore regionale all’Agricoltura della Regione Siciliana, Luca Sammartino.
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Giornata divulgativa EbioScart del 4 dicembre a Roccapalumba
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Consuntivo di medio periodo per Ebioscart
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