The AccelerEAT R&D&I project has concluded with new technical findings for Hifas da Terra’s research into more circular and resource-efficient production processes.
Supported by the PERTE Agri-food programme of the Spanish Ministry of Industry and Tourism, the project forms part of Spain’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, funded by the European Union through NextGenerationEU.
Exploring new uses for agri-food by-products
AccelerEAT brought together participating organisations to investigate how selected by-products from the agri-food industry could be incorporated into new production processes.
As part of the project, Hifas da Terra’s R&D team evaluated more than five by-products supplied by other members of the consortium. The work examined their suitability for research into processes involving edible mushroom-derived ingredients.
Hifas da Terra also contributed selected fungal strains from its collection. These were studied under controlled conditions to generate analytical data about their characteristics and behaviour in different production environments.
More than 50 research prototypes
The project resulted in the development of more than 50 mushroom-derived ingredient prototypes. Each prototype was analytically characterised to obtain information about its composition.
Genomic and analytical data were also added to the technical profiles of the fungal strains studied. This information provides Hifas da Terra’s research team with a more detailed understanding of the strains and the production processes evaluated during the project.
Selected agri-food by-products were also examined after fermentation. The resulting materials showed different analytical profiles depending on the by-product, fungal strain and process conditions used.
These findings will support further assessment at pilot-production level. Additional evaluation will be required before any prototype can be selected for commercial development or used in a finished product.
Supporting more circular production research
AccelerEAT has expanded Hifas da Terra’s technical knowledge of fermentation, ingredient characterisation and the potential reuse of selected agri-food materials.
The project forms part of the company’s work to investigate production methods that make better use of resources and support circularity. Research findings relating to experimental prototypes do not, by themselves, demonstrate a health benefit or apply to any commercially available food supplement.