Call for expressions of interest to look for a Research center or University as collaborative partner to impart an educative master class about Pulse Electric Fields (PEF) for healthier virgin olive oil extraction

PHENOILS CONSORTIUM AND EPS IN PARTICULAR IS LOOKING FOR A UNIVERSITY OR RESEARCH CENTER TO CARRY OUT AN EDUCATION WORSHOP ABOUT NEW TECHNOLOGIES FOR THE INCREASE OF PHENOLS AND YIELD EXTRACTION DURING VIRGIN OLIVE OIL DURING 2021
15 JULY 2021, PORTUGAL

PROJECT PHENOILS ENTERS ITS SECOND ANNUITY FOR THE PRODUCTION OF A HEALTHIER EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL. ENERGYPULSE SYSTEMS (EPS) IS A PARTNER OF THIS EUROPEAN PROJECT LED BY ACESUR THAT FACES ITS SECOND YEAR, AFTER HAVING COMPLIED THE OBJECTIVES SET DURING THE FIRST YEAR ON THE DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF NEW TECHNOLOGY FOR THE PRODUCTION OF HEALTHIER EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL.

During the year 2020, EPS, together with consortium partners, worked on the Phenoils project, studying the implementation of PEF technology and other in mills for a healthier and more profitable extraction of virgin olive oil. This R&D project has the financial support of EIT Food, the European food innovation community, and it is formed by Acesur (Spain), the CSIC Institute (Spain), the Fraunhofer Technology Center (Germany), the University of Turin (Italy) and by Energy Pulses Systems (Portugal).

After the completion of the first annuity, the consortium managed to successfully complete the tests referred to 2020, selecting the best potential techniques and protocols among those studied and having carried out studies in different varieties of olives (arbequina, manzanilla, hojiblanca, taggiasca and mattea), in different stages of maturation. Using new technologies in development (hydrodynamic cavitation, ultrasound and pulsed electric field technology (PEF), the aim of the project was to increase the presence of compounds such as tocopherols, polyphenols and other bioactive compounds in virgin olive oil that have a proven positive effect on cardiovascular diseases and metabolic syndrome. After the achievement of these results, EIT Food has given the consortium the opportunity to continue developing this project during 2021.

During 2021, with the aim of training and informing potential producers and operators of the international olive sector, after the success achieved in 2020, the tasks related to the educational package will be carried out, with the development of training courses in specialized centers and universities in Italy, Greece and Spain.

After this second annuity, in which the two most efficient technologies will be worked on a pilot scale of great capacity, EPS and all the consortia hope to obtain conclusive results that allow their industrial implementation.

EnergyPulse Systems is starting project Phenoils, a European project to achieve healthier virgin olive oil extraction

EnergyPulse Systems will work throughout 2020 on the project Phenoils, in which will study the implementation of new processing technologies in mills for a healthier virgin olive oil extraction. This R&D project has been awarded by the EIT Food, as an EIT Regional Innovation Scheme Challenge.

Besides EnergyPulse Systems, the project Phenoils   has the contribution of other partners of the EIT Food: Acesur (project leader), Instituto de la Grasa (CSIC), Fraunhofer Technology Centre and University of Turin.

One of the main goals of this project is to increase the presence of compounds such as tocopherols, polyphenols and other bioactive compounds in virgin olive oil that have a proven positive effect on cardiovascular diseases and metabolic syndrome, using new extraction technologies in mill (hydrodynamic cavitation, ultrasound and pulsed electric fields technology (PEF)).

The influence of these new technologies and the evolution of the content of minor compounds over the life of virgin olive oils will also be studied. To this end, several SMEs have been involved in Portugal, Spain, Italy and Greece, where the production of virgin olive oil is very relevant to their economies.

 This is a two-year project and EnergyPulse Systems, together with the other partners of this consortium, will show the advantage of a pre-treatment by PEF on the industrial efficiency and final product quality for a healthier, premium virgin olive oil. In addition, educational programs will be carried out in benefit of producers and students from participating countries.

[pt PureWine Ficha de projeto]

PureWine: “Increasing quality and production capacity of European wine industry through an innovative Pulsed Electric Field-based process applied to vinification”

A pilot-plant winery will be installed in Gouveia, heart of the Dão wine region in Portugal.

PureWine project aims to use Pulsed Electric Fields (PEF), developed by EnergyPulse Systems (EPS), enabling wineries to increase productivity of both red and white wines and to reduce the use of heat and chemicals during processing:

1. Reduction in 30% of the maceration time in red wine production for the extraction of polyphenols and colour;

2. Increase in 10% of polyphenols in red wine thermo vinification;

3. Increase in 10% of juice extraction yield during the first low pressure stage of high-quality white wine production;

4. Replacement or reduction in 75% of heat and chemical substances (e.g. SO2 or dimethyl carbonate/DMDC) used for improving the microbiological stabilisation of red wine during the control of Brettanomyces (Brett) infestations.

PureWine: “Increasing quality and production capacity of European wine industry through an innovative Pulsed Electric Field-based process applied to vinification”

 Códigos do Projeto: CENTRO-01-0247-FEDER-041392 | LISBOA-01-0247-FEDER-041392

Apoio: PROJETOS DEMONSTRADORES INDIVIDUAIS – Selos de Excelência|Aviso 19/SI/2018

Entidade líder: ENERGYPULSE SYSTEMS, LDA

Objetivo: OT 1 – Reforçar a investigação, o desenvolvimento tecnológico e a inovação

Localização do Projeto: NUTS II – CENTRO e LISBOA

Data de Aprovação: 05/09/2019

Data de Início: 01/12/2019

Data de fim: 30/11/2022

Montantes envolvidos:

• Investimento Total: 757.611,61 Euros
• Investimento Elegível Total: 748.194,94 Euros
• Apoio Financeiro (Incentivo Não Reembolsável): FEDER 454.590,95 Euros

 Objetivo:  O projeto PureWine consiste numa nova tecnologia de retrofitting baseada em campos elétricos pulsados (PEF) desenvolvida pela EnergyPulse Systems (EPS), que permite às adegas/ caves aumentar a produtividade de vinhos tintos e brancos e reduzir o uso de calor e produtos químicos.

Atividades:

1. (Re)Engenharia da atual máquina de EPS, para torná-la apta à produção em larga escala;
2. Testes em ambiente relevante do equipamento PureWine numa linha piloto em condições reais de operação, que comprovarão o desempenho da solução, na produção de vinhos tintos e brancos de alta qualidade;
3. Extensão da variedade de uvas (a partir das uvas já testadas) que podem ser tratadas com sucesso através do equipamento PureWine, com o objetivo de cobrir a maior parte da produção da EU.

Resultados esperados: Instalado nas linhas de produção existentes, o PureWine permitirá melhorar o desempenho da fase de vinificação, oferecendo os seguintes benefícios:

1. redução de 30% do tempo de maceração na produção de vinho tinto para a extração de polifenóis e cor;
2. aumento de 10% de polifenóis na vinificação térmica do vinho tinto;
3. aumento de 10% no rendimento da extração de sumo durante a primeira fase de baixa pressão na produção de vinho branco de alta qualidade;
4. substituição ou redução de 75% de calor e substâncias químicas (por exemplo, SO2 ou dimetilcarbonato / DMDC) utilizados para melhorar a estabilização microbiológica do vinho tinto durante o controlo de infestações por Brettanomyces (Brett).

BIOFOODPACK aims to develop a sustainable biocomposite food packaging material to actively interact with foodstuffs, leading to improved food safety with minimal processing, reducing food loss and waste. Antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of natural resources are combined with different fillers to achieve water resistant materials with enhanced mechanical and gas barrier properties and electrically conductive for in-pack sterilization by pulsed electric fields.

BIOFOODPACK will provide a food packaging material based on abundant recyclable and biodegradable biopolymers,, which will actively protect food with reduction of food waste, a huge nowadays problem. The implementation of packaged food sterilized at low temperature will extend shelflife, maintaining organoleptic and nutritional characteristics of fresh food. A multidisciplinary team will work interactively to generate innovation and market exploitable products.

Please read more in – “EIT Food“

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