H2020-EU.3.2
Societal Challenges – Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine, maritime and inland water research, and the bioeconomy.
H2020-SFS-2014-2. ID: 635632-2
fieldfood.eu
Visit the project website to learn more.
FieldFOOD project
FieldFOOD project was implemented with the support of Horizon 2020 funding, one of the first projects to be funded under this programme. The overall objective of the FieldFOOD project, with a duration of 36 months, is to analyze and identify the reasons that limit the application of new technologies in some food industry processes, with particular reference to Pulsed Electric Fields (PEF). The basic idea is to verify the possibility of identifying innovative strategies that allow SMEs (food, equipment and pulse generators companies) to obtain a competitive advantage resulting from the use of the PEF which translates into opportunities for growth, diversification of supply and creation of new jobs.
The parallel objective is to respond to the consumers demand who require food that can have a positive impact on well-being and health through the consumption of products with different organoleptic and functional properties. These objectives have been pursued applying PEF technology on the production processes of the project partner companies that produce fruit juices, processed tomato, wine, oil and cider, verifying the possibility of replacing or integrating PEF into the traditional processes, designing portable and low-cost treatment cells and modular pulse generators.
As part of the FieldFOOD project, ProdAl has integrated PEF into a traditional peeled tomato production line. The experimental activity was carried out in order to:
- facilitate the peel removal process during the peeling phase;
- reduce energy consumption during steam peeling;
- improve the organoleptic, nutritional and nutraceutical properties of the processed product;
- enhancing by-products (peels) through the recovery of bioactive compounds.
Main results
The FieldFOOD project has allowed to identify the main “bottlenecks” of the integration of PEF technology in the different sectors of the food industry being tested and to propose economical, safe and effective technological solutions. During the project, the sustainability and industrial effectiveness of PEF technology in the different processes used as case studies was demonstrated. It has been observed that PEF is able to:
- Reduce the maceration time, improving wine quality (in terms of polyphenol content and color) during the vinification process;
- Increase the extraction yield of fruit juices and cider, improving their quality (in terms of polyphenol and anthocyanin content);
- Increase extraction yield and reduce costs of olive oil extraction process;
- Improve the quality of processed tomatoes, reduce process costs and enhance by-products.
ProdAl, which conducted the testing activities on different scales (laboratory, pilot, industrial), demonstrated that, regardless of the working scale, applying low intensity PEF treatment to tomatoes before peeling, reduces the strength and adhesive strength of the peels to the pulp, resulting in ease peel removal. Prior to the industrial scale trials, the ProdAl researchers were responsible for designing and having a suitable PEF cell built on the basis of their own drawings and indications. The results of the tests carried out on an industrial scale for two different tomato processing campaigns have allowed to validate the results previously obtained both on a laboratory and pilot scales, confirming the scalability of PEF technology (up to at least a product flow rate of 35 t/h). The ability of PEF to change the structure of the peel; facilitate removal by steam peeling, using reduced steam pressures; achieve energy savings of 20-30% compared to the conventional process has been demonstrated. At the same time, it has been shown that the PEF pre-treatment of tomatoes also allows to increase the extraction yields of carotenoids (lycopene) from the tissues of exhausted skins, with consequent possible valorization of the processing by-products.
As part of the project, ProdAl has carried out a field research aimed at collecting useful data to carry out economic and financial assessments on the possible implementation of the innovation experienced at the companies and to verify the interest of potential consumers to buy the new enriched tomato reference.
Dissemination activities carried out directly by ProdAl
Publications in scientific journals
- Arnal Á.J., Royo P., Pataro G., Ferrari G., Ferreira V.J., López-Sabirón A.M., Ferreira G.A. (2018)
Implementation of PEF Treatment at Real-Scale Tomatoes Processing Considering LCA Methodology as an Innovation Strategy in the Agri-Food Sector.
Sustainability 2018, 10, 979. - Pataro G., Carullo D., Bakar Siddique Md A., Falcone M., Donsì F., Ferrari G. (2018).
Improved extractability of carotenoids from tomato peels as side benefits of PEF treatment of tomato fruit for more energy-efficient steam-assisted peeling.
Journal of Food Engineering, 233, 65-73. - Pataro G., Carullo D., Falcone M., Ferrari G. (2020).
Recovery of lycopene from industrially derived tomato processing byproducts by pulsed electric fields-assisted extraction.
Innovative Food Science and Emerging Technologies, 63, 102369. - Pataro G., Carullo D., Ferrari G. (2019).
Effect of PEF pre-treatment and extraction temperature on the recovery of carotenoids from tomato wastes.
Chemical Engineering Transactions 75, 139-144. - Ferrari G.
Non-thermal technologies: there is still room for novelty?
Workshop: “Innovation in Engineering to improve food quality”, Issue September 11th, 2015, 2015. - Ferrari G.
Applications of Non thermal technology
in proceedings of: “Workshop: “PhD Program at University of Bio-Bio”, Issue October 22th, 2015, 2015. - Pataro G., Nedelkoska N. D., Carullo D., Capitoli M. M., Ferrari G.
PEF treatment for the valorization of tomato by‐products
in Proceedings of “29th EFFoST International Conference 2015”, Issue November 10th‐12th, 2015, 2015, Page(s) 151-152. - Ferrari G.
Improving mass transfer through cell membrane of plant tissues by PEF
in Proceeding of “3rd School on Pulsed Electric Field Processing of Food”, Issue 21th-24th, 2016, 2016, Page(s) 55-66. - Pataro G., Carullo D., Maresca P., Ferrari G.
Application of Pulsed Electric Fields technology for improving peeling of tomato fruits
In Book of Abstracts of “18th World Congress of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST 2016)”, Issue August 21th-25th, 2016, Page(s) 1624
Participations in events and fairs
18th IUFoST – World Congress of Food Science and Technology
Dublin, Ireland
Conferenziere: Giovanna Ferrari
Titolo intervento: Application of PEF Technology in tomato processing industry
30th EFFoST International Conference 2016 – Targeted Technologies for Sustainable Food Systems
28-30 November 2016, Vienna, Austria
Conferenziere: Giovanna Ferrari
Titolo intervento: Valorisation of tomato processing residues through HPH-assisted cell disintegration
Conferenziere: Gianpiero Pataro
Titolo intervento: Application of Pulsed Electric Fields technology in tomato fruits processing
18th IUFoST – World Congress of Food Science and Technology
Dublin, Ireland
Website
Invited speaker: Giovanna Ferrari
Title of speech: Application of PEF Technology in tomato processing industry
30th EFFoST International Conference 2016 – Targeted Technologies for Sustainable Food Systems
November 28-30 2016, Vienna, Austria
Website
Invited speaker: Giovanna Ferrari
Title of speech: Valorisation of tomato processing residues through HPH-assisted cell disintegration
Speaker: Gianpiero Pataro
Title of speech: Application of Pulsed Electric Fields technology in tomato fruits processing
Foodinnova, International Conference on Food Innovation
January 31 2017, Cesena, Italy
Website
Speaker: Gianpiero Pataro
Titles of speech:
- Effect of PEF and steam blanching treatments on the extraction yield of carotenoids from tomato wastes
- Effect of post-harvest pulsed light treatment on the respiration rate of grapes: modelling and validation
4th School on Pulsed Electric Field Applications in Food and Biotechnology
May 9-12 2017, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna, Austria
Website
Invited speaker for plenary session: Giovanna Ferrari
Title of speech: PEF Treatment of Plant Materials including a case study for tomato peeling
Speaker: Gianpiero Pataro
Title of speech: Decision Support System: a predictive modeling system to select the appropriate PEF treatment conditions
May 28-31 2017, Milan, Italy
Website
Speaker: Gianpiero Pataro
Title of speech: Application of Pulsed Electric Fields technology for improving the efficiency of industrial processing of tomato fruits PEF treatment conditions
8th Global Foodnews Tomato Forum
Jun 1-9 2017, Rome, Italy
Invited speaker: Giovanna Ferrari
Title of speech: Application of Pulsed Electric Fields technology in tomato fruits processing
Speaker: Gianpiero Pataro
Title of speech: Tomato By-Products: Recovery, Products and Valorisation
September 24-28 2017, Norfolk (VA), USA
Website
Speaker: Gianpiero Pataro
Titles of speech:
- On the integration of Pulsed Electric Fields technology in the tomato fruits processing;
- Effect of Pulsed Electric Fields and High-Pressure Homogenization on the aqueous extraction of valuable compounds from microalgae Chlorella vulgaris;
- PEF-assisted green solvent extraction of high-added value compounds from agri-food by-products;
- Recovery of Anthocyanins from Berry Press Residues Left after the Pulsed Electric Field Assisted Juice Extraction.
November 13-16 2017, Sitges, Spain
Speaker: Gianpiero Pataro
Titles of speech:
- Application of pulsed electric fields technology in tomato fruits processing;
- Combined use of continuous flow high intensity pulsed light and essential oil nanoemulsions against Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris in apple juice.
March 20-23 2018, Colonia, Germany
Invited speaker: Giovanna Ferrari
Titolo intervento: FieldFOOD: Integrating PEF in existing food processes to improve quality, safety and competitiveness
Listings on other media
Tecnoalimentaria Food Industry, December-January 2018, 214-215. Online and printed magazine. The printed version is distributed as part of the main exhibitions dedicated to the food industry.
The online version is availabe
Here.
Partner
The FieldFOOD project was carried out by 12 partners divided between research centers, universities, companies. In particular:
- Universidad de Zaragoza – Spain, coordinator
- Berlin University of Technology (TUB) – Germany
- University College Dublin (UCD) – Ireland
- ProdAl Scarl – Italy
- Bodegas Aragonesas SA – Spain
- The Apple Farm – Ireland
- Diesdorfer Sussmost, Weinkeltereiund Edeldestille GMBH – Germany
- Energy Pulse Systems, LDA – Portugal
- F.P.D. S.r.l. Industria Conserve Alimentari – Italy
- Agrisarna – Spain
- Circe – Spain
- Stichting EFFOST – The Netherlands
Documents
