Identification & Background:
Name of the project: Innovation in the table olive processing chain through photobiomodulation and waste recovery through a sustainable approach
Acronym: INOVOlive
Project description: The INOVOlive project aims to study and develop solutions for the table olive production sector, namely photostimulation of the natural fermentation process and decontamination of olives and brine at the end of the fermentation process, using LED lighting technology, allowing to accelerate the fermentation and packaging of the olives in brine with reduced salt content. The valorizationof brine will also be studied.
Project code: 17451
Approval date: 14/08/2024
Start date: 01/11/2024
Completion date: 31/10/2027
Total Financial support: 1.096.920,00
Copromotors: Cooperative Winery of Freixo De Espada à Cinta; IPB; MORECoLAB – Mountain of Research Collaborative Laboratory – Association; LOKI, Unipessoal Lda.
Objectives
1) Study the effect of photostimulation, through the emission of LED light (red), on the duration of the natural fermentation of table olives; 2) Evaluate the impact of photostimulation on the physicochemical, microbiological and sensory characteristics of table olives; 3) Study the decontaminating effect of LED light (blue) to reduce the microbial load of olives at the end of the fermentation process, allowing them to be packaged in brine with reduced salt content; 4) Study the effect of blue LED light on the decontamination of brine, to reuse it in the production process of table olives and in the production of salicornia; 5) Scale up the fermentation process with the application of photostimulation; 6) Demonstrate the feasibility of producing olives packaged in brine with low salt content on an industrial scale; and 7) Demonstrate on a relevant scale the production of salicornia in hydroponics using brine water.
Activities
Study of photostimulation of olive fermentation; Study of packaging olives in low-salt brine; Study of the valorization of brine resulting from the fermentation process in the production of salicornia; Study of different LED lighting systems applied in the processing of table olives; Demonstration of the potential of the products and processes developed; Dissemination, communication and exploitation of the project results; Technical management of the project.
Expected Results
The aim is to obtain 4 new products and 4 new processes, namely: i) Processes – To obtain an innovative process for producing table olives of the Negrinha de Freixo variety with natural fermentation, reducing the fermentation time by at least 3 months using photostimulation with LED lighting; – To obtain a process for microbiological control of table olives before packaging, using blue LED lighting, to substantially reduce the altering microbial load and consequently reduce the amount of salt, by at least 30%, to be used for their conservation over the shelf life; – To develop a decontamination process using blue LED lighting, to reduce the microbial load of the brine discarded at the end of the fermentation process by 99%, to reuse it in the olive fermentation process; – To develop a hydroponic production process for salicornia using the highest possible brine content (before and after decontamination with blue LED lighting) resulting from the fermentation process, maximizing the plant’s agronomic performance. ii) Products – To obtain table olives of the Negrinha de Freixo variety packed in brine with a lower salt content than that available commercially (the company ACFEC currently sells olives with NaCl <8%, with the project’s objective being to use a brine of less than 5%); – To develop 3 LED lighting systems, one to stimulate fermentation and adapt to table olive fermentation bioreactors (reducing fermentation time by at least 3 months) and the other two aiming to reduce the microbial load of the olives and brine by 99% at the end of the fermentation process.
