Value - exchange and technological transfer on the recovery of wastes from vegetable processing industry on SUDOE

Abstract

One of the problems associated with the vegetable processing industry on SUDOE space (South-western Europe region, which includes Spain, Portugal and the South of France), relates the management and recovery of waste and currently for many, still an unsolved problem. Among the weakness listed in the SWOT analysis of SUDOE program, the low level of waste treatment with respect to other European countries appears to be distressing. In this context, the Project VALUE aims to transform this weakness in an opportunity promoting the development and technological transfer and methodology exchange for waste recovery. In recent years much has been achieved in the development of waste technologies. Nevertheless, these technologies are not sufficiently widespread and/or validated among SMEs in the food industry and, particularly, that of vegetables processing. It constitutes the project main goal, throughout technology transfer and waste recovery methodologies, the collection and application of compounds of interest for technological improvement of processing industry, also evaluating the possible energy generation from the resulting wastes, which will, ultimately, increase the competitiveness of SMEs in the sector.