Welcome to the B-Resilient Skills Hub, an innovative resource designed to enhance the resilience of European Food Production and Processing SMEs. Developed within the framework of the B-Resilient project, our skills hub serves as a comprehensive document tool, providing easy access to a wide range of valuable resources.
Our primary objective is to support SMEs by equipping them with the knowledge and expertise necessary to optimize their biomass utilization and minimize waste generation. Throughout the project’s lifespan, our skills hub will be regularly updated with the latest insights and best practices in biomass valorization and zero waste strategies.
Assembled by the collaborative efforts of the B-Resilient partners, the skills hub is a centralized repository of practical information tailored specifically to the needs of food production SMEs. With a simple click, you can explore a wealth of resources that will empower you to improve your resilience and achieve sustainable growth.
Join us on this journey towards a more resilient future for European Food Production SMEs. Together, we can unlock the potential of biomass and pave the way for a greener, more efficient industry.
Dairy
Whey has several environmental risks if disposed of as waste in watercourses. However, there arenumerous valorisation techniques to convert it into valuable and highly nutritious
The search for new food products that promote consumers health has always been of great interest. The dairy industry is perhaps the best example regarding the emergence of new products with claimed health benefits. Cheese whey (CW), the by-product resulting from cheese production, and second cheese whey (SCW), which is the by-product of whey cheese manufacture, have proven to contain potential ingredients for the development of food products with improved nutritional characteristics and other functionalities. Nowadays, due to their nutritional quality, whey products have gained a prominent position among healthy food products. However, for a long time, CW and SCW were usually treated as waste or as animal feed. Due to their high organic content, these by-products can cause serious environmental problems if discarded without appropriate treatment. Small and medium size dairy companies do not have the equipment and structure to process whey and second cheese whey.
In these cases, generally, they are used for animal feed or discarded without an appropriate treatment, being the cause of several constraints. There are several studies regarding CW valorization and there is a wide range of whey products in the market. However, in the case of SCW, there remains a lack of studies regarding its nutritional and functional properties, as well as ways to reuse this by-product in order to create economic value and reduce environmental impacts associated to its disposal.
The dairy industry is significant in the European Union. Indeed, Europe is one of the world’s leading milk-producing regions, accounting for 25% of world production. The majority of EU dairy production is cow’s milk, accounting for 96% of all production. Significant producers include Germany and France; together with the Netherlands, Poland and Italy, these five countries represent two-thirds of EU production. The EU exports a total of 1,38 million tonnes of cheese per year.
Spent Grains
BSG is a side stream from beer production. It is a fibre- and protein-rich stream that is used as a raw material in animal feed. However, precisely because of its high fibre and protein content, it could also be an interesting product to use as an ingredient in the food industry. For instance, it could improve the nutritional properties of e.g. bread.
Stone Fruits & Apple
The olive biorefinery involves a multi-product process from different raw materials: olive leaves, exhausted olive pomace, olive stones and olive tree pruning residues. Biorefinery processes associated with these wastes allow their valorization to produce bioenergy and high value-added renewable products.
In this work, using geographic information system tools, the biomass from olive crop fields, mills and olive pomace-extracting industries, where these wastes are generated, was determined and quantified in the study area (provinces of Jaén, Córdoba and Seville), making it possible to identify the best locations for the implementation of the biorefineries based on olive-derived biomass.
Apple is a fruit frequently produced and consumed in Europe. Indeed, the European Union is the second largest apple producer in the world, behind China, but ahead of the United States.
The European production of apples is led by 3 countries: Poland, Italy and France. These three countries represent more than 50% of European apple production. Historically, Europe is an exporter of apples. However, the situation is very different depending on the country. Lithuania and Latvia, for instance, are very dependent on apple imports.
Cereals and Wheat Bran
Wheat bran, consisting of bran and middlings, is the primary byproduct of the milling industry, accounting for 14 to 19% of the materials resulting from wheat crushing. It is excluded from white flour due to the negative perception linked to its dark colour.
In Belgium, the main valorisations for wheat bran are in energy biomass and animal feed. It can also occasionally be reintroduced in the formulation of whole-grain bread and pasta.
Wheat bran is a byproduct of wheat milling, which in Europe is a significant sector within the food processing industry. Europe is the second most important producer of wheat worldwide, behind China.
Indeed, the climate in the European Union is favourable to the development of cereal crops, in particular wheat, thanks to moderate temperatures (between -6 and 20 degrees Celsius), warm weather before growth and sunny conditions during the final stages before wheat harvest.
Grapevine & Winemaking
Organic mulches have emerged as a promising and sustainable solution for enhancing cultivation practices worldwide. Unlike traditional synthetic materials, organic mulches are derived from natural sources such as plant residues, compost, straw, or even post-cultivation substrates like mushroom remnants. Their increasing popularity comes from the numerous benefits they bring to various agricultural systems, including the cultivation of crops like vineyards.
The by-products of grapes are the materials or components obtained as a result of the winemaking process. These by-products can be recovered and used for various purposes, or in some cases, they are sought to be avoided due to their potential negative impact on the final product. The most common by-products include grape pomace, grape seeds, wine lees, and wine acids.
Grapes are a fruit commonly produced in Europe. In 2020, there were 2.2 million vineyards holdings for wine in the EU. Grapes are either consumed as fresh fruit, or processed, usually into wine. Europe is one of the most important producers of table grapes and wine, though the production varies enormously from one country to another. Grape production holds economic value for two main markets: the food industry, and wine industry. In the food industry, grapes can be sold as fresh fruit or as raisins, but they also can be processed to produce juice, vinegar, etc. Both industries generate different types and large quantities of by-products: rotten grapes, for instance, are a by-product of harvesting, while wine production generates stalks, peels, grape seeds, etc.
Other Value Chains
This company has created an innovative solution for recycling eggshells as an agricultural amendment. It has invested 800,000 euros in its manufacturing process. It is reaching saturation point, and a second line is being studied. Terremo’Logic will transform 6,000 tonnes of eggshells this year, collected from five Breton “casseries”. Located in Lizio (Morbihan), the Terremo’Logic team will then grind and heat these shells using a unique and confidential process.
Two examples of tomato skin valorization: on the cosmetic market and on biopolymers. The processing of tomato fruit into puree, juices, sauces, etc, produce numerous by-products in the form of tomato pomace, which includes peel and seeds.
These by-products are rich in water and difficult to transport and must be consumed quickly after their production. Furthermore, in addition to the technical difficulty of their exploitation, the economic reality of valuing such a by-product is also an issue.
A great deal of waste and by-products is produced during banana harvesting and consumption, including stems, leaves, inflorescences, and peels. Some of them have the potential to be used to develop new foods. This paper summarized the composition information, functions, and comprehensive utilization of banana by-products. Moreover, the problems and future development in its utilization
Migino, Ranobo and Didess joined hands 2 years ago. Together they founded the MiRaDi partnership on nut processing. Together with Flanders‘ FOOD and VIVES and with the support of VLAIO, they developed an extensive product range with a focus on zero-waste. From mayo to croquette, discover MiRaDi’s zero-waste nut buffet here.
General Elements and Resources on Resilience for Food Producing and Processing SMEs
According to the ADEME’s definition, a by-product is something that is created during the process of producing a product, whether or not this is intentional. The by-product is intended for a specific use, different from that of the product from which it is derived. So it is somewhere between an original product and waste. What are the obstacles that get in the way of your by-products?
The MixMatters Integrated System is a smart and multi-purpose solution that makes valorisation of a wide range of mixed bio-waste streams containing impurities from the agri-food industry a viable option.
The system consists of a Separation Unit and the Valorisation Hub, encompassing a range of advanced technologies into an Integrated System that is mobile, modular, multipurpose and smart.
The overall objective of MixMatters is to set up the system and demonstrate the separation and valorisation of mixed agri-food biowaste containing impurities such as plastic, cardboard or metal and coming from three streams from the agri-food industry (wholesale markets, greenhouses, and the food and drink industry) into six high-value outputs: powdered ingredients, sugar concentrates, recombinant proteins, green fibres, bioactive compounds, and plastic monomers.
The Emilia-Romagna Region has published a brochure in English entitled “The agrifood system of Emilia-Romagna region” which is now available online; it reports the most significant data of the agri-food system of the Emilia-Romagna region; its structure, economy and excellence. From territorial to economic data, from production chains to import-export data, from excellent products (Labels) to sustainable production techniques (organic and integrated), the publication paints a complete picture of the characteristics of quality, safety, traceability, and sustainability of production which have given Emilia-Romagna that leading role in agri-food which has been recognized for years both in Italy and abroad.
Byp4Dev aims to provide learners with suitable training tools, which will facilitate the transition and acceleration to the bio-based society and the primary sector development through a generation of more added value products and processes.
Characterising and valorising food and industrial wastes using omics techniques and biotechnology is vital for sustainable practices. Omics methods provide a comprehensive understanding of waste composition, and when coupled with biotechnology, enable the conversion of these wastes into valuable bioactive products. This integrated approach aligns with circular economy principles, minimising environmental impact and transforming waste into valuable resources.
Studies like “Engineering Strategies for Efficient Bioconversion of Glycerol to Value-Added Products by Yarrowia lipolytica,” demonstrate how engineering strategies can optimise the bioconversion of glycerol into valuable products using Yarrowia lipolytica. By focusing on genetic, biochemical, and industrial aspects, such research advances efficient utilisation of waste, promoting sustainability and contributing to a circular economy.
Model2Bio, a European Funded Project that ran from 2020 to 2023, developed a mathematical, predictive model to help identify, select, and reuse organic waste streams. The model specifically covered stream composition, volume, and transformation as well as logistics and business cases.
B-Resilient, along with other EU Funded projects, collaborated with Model2Bio in the creation of a white paper on waste management. The final result, a comprehensive document on Food and Drink Waste Management, is a great tool to learn everything about the great
valorisation potential of the agri-food industry’s by-products, as well as the limitations or obstacles that may hinder this valorisation.
Cultivated meat, a product that a handful of restaurant patrons bit into for the first time in December, could change the world’s menus in astonishing ways. It could mean that one day consumers will pay no more for Wagyu beef and bluefin tuna than for chicken nuggets and burgers. It could mean a small island could serve up beefy platters at the same cost and efficiency as a continent with wide, grassy plains. By 2030, cultivated meat could provide as much as a half of 1 percent—billions of pounds—of the world’s meat supply, with implications for multiple sectors.
Ingredients made with biotechnology could play an important role in the future of food—and they’re beginning to come to market. Over the past five years, $4 billion has been invested to develop novel ingredients ranging from mycelium proteins to animal-free eggs. These ingredients are made through fermentation to create proteins and fats that can function like conventional proteins, but they are animal-free and can be more sustainable.
Global demand for fish and shellfish is growing rapidly—and alternative proteins are well positioned to sustainably scale the industry. millions of people rely on healthy oceans as a source of jobs and food, and demand for fish protein is only increasing. Projections show growth of 14 percent by 2030 versus 2020 levels, driven by growing markets in Asia, Europe, Latin America, and Oceania. That said, the amount of wild-caught seafood remains flat, with more than 85 percent of the world’s fisheries pushed to or beyond their limits.
VET LOVES FOOD is a new European Project mainly addressed to VET teachers, trainers, students and schools.
We were interested in the valorization of co-products from agri-agro chains, with a view to better integrating environmental issues. This approach is often implemented with the aim of generating economic value, but few players have yet considered the environmental impact of the operations involved in recovery. Throughout the morning, LCA experts, co-product specialists and innovators shared their views on this issue. The networking lunch that followed provided an opportunity for rich exchanges between speakers and participants.
Julie Litas, from Vaucluse Provence Attractivité, and Sandrine Lopis-Presle from innov’Alliance, explain how co-products from agriculture and the food industry can become new value-added ingredients, enhancing the appeal of the Vaucluse as a territory for sustainable innovation.
The event is supported by the Southern Region’s OIR Naturalité, organised by VPA and Innov’Alliance, and spearheaded by Team Vaucluse.
Clust-ER Agrifood organized an online public event on April 12 at 16:00 to discuss a priority theme: how to innovate the use of food residues in high added value products in a context of accelerated climate change, in which circular economy is more important than ever. In partnership with the SPES Value Chain (“Valorization of by-products and waste – chemistry from biomass in the agrifood sector”) of the Agrifood Clust-ER, 6 questions were discussed, as follows:
1. What are the top 5 trends in new ingredients from traditional value chains (traditional primary products such as wheat, stone fruit, grapes, etc.)?
2. What are the top 5 trends in new ingredients from non-traditional value chains (such as algae, insects, bio-based proteins)?
3. What are the main obstacles to allowing a wider diffusion of these new trends?
4. What is the added value of these new trends compared to what exists at the moment?
5. What are the best tips and tricks learned in the Emilia-Romagna region to create a constructive environment to support new developments?
6. What are the main needs (finance, research, startup/scaleup facilities, business support, right partners, …) to create new resilient value chains?
The opportunities offered to SMEs by the EUROCLUSTER “B-Resilient” project were also presented – namely the “lump sum” Mobility, Business Continuity Plan, Innovation & Internationalization calls – which aim to finance innovative products generated by primary or secondary productions using the biotechnology.
B-Resilient project offers the opportunity to be partly financed if you are an SME working on valorising food biomass and you are facing disturbance in logistic, production, raw material…
Innov’Alliance, in collaboration with Valorial and Wagralim, have organised a webinar on the theme of “how to secure the supply chain of food raw materials?” to help companies understand what a business continuity plan is. The B-resilient project offers financial assistance in this area.
Organisations that work on sustainability and digitalisation are more resilient, less susceptible to crises and outperform their competitors. Will you be a front runner? A training has been organised to perform cluster managers and staffs’ comprehension on the ‘Business continuity Plan’, and inspire them with new ideas.
The introduction of Novel Food is a topic of great importance to help the agrifood sector innovate and become more resilient, whilst also ensuring the improved sustainability of its supply chains, with a view to strengthening circular economy. On 14th December, Clust-ER Agrifood Emilia-Romagna organised in collaboration with the B-Resilient EUROCLUSTERS project the online training sessions “Novel food and process & product innovation” during which 5 speakers inspired and transferred knowledge to the an audience of over 50 participants on topics including food safety state of the art and regulatory aspects (EFSA’s position); Novel Food: opportunities and obstacles for the supply chain regional agri-food, the case of Alia’s Insect Farm, or the consumer’s point of view between curiosity and resistances (by the National Confconsumatori association).
Flanders’ FOOD explains its strategic research and innovation agenda to make better use of by-products in the Flemish agri-food industry. This roadmap came about through interviews with Flemish food processing companies.
Maral Mahdad of the University of Eindhoven shares some interesting insights in how to deal with sidestreams over the whole value chain. Which business models could be interesting? Which technologies could be explored? Maral Mahdad of the University of Eindhoven shares some interesting insights in how to deal with sidestreams over the whole value chain. Which business models could be interesting? Which technologies could be explored?
The Processtimator is a tool that predicts the financial and technical viability of valorisation options for sidestreams. In this video Martijntje Vollebregt and Annelie Verbon explain the ins and outs.
How can the by-products of salmon processing be recycled?
During the production of its premium food products, Algolesko generates 30% of non-recovered byproducts. The valorisation of this biomass is important in the current context of scarcity of resources and reach zero waste goal and circular concepts. 
The FBRM project aims to develop large batches of sustainable and nutritious fungi-based burgers employing food industry by-products as a substrate, while ensuring accurate and timely assessment of their texture, protein and nutrient content thanks to a photonic based solution for real-time monitoring of the production.
The Sustainable Ingredients for Innovative Products (SIIP) project is an innovation initiative aimed at revolutionizing the agri-food industry. Supported by a lump sum grant of €54,000, SIIP is poised to drive significant advancements in sustainable ingredient sourcing and product innovation. Through strategic collaborations and pioneering research, SIIP seeks to catalyze the development of novel food products with enhanced nutritional profiles and reduced environmental impact.
In Morbihan, France, Terremo’logic specializes in the recovery of by-products from egg breaking plants, and is the French leader in eggshell recovery.
Thanks to an innovative and unique process, eggshells are hygienized and stripped of their membranes. They are then used as a lime substitute by local farmers. This represents 6,000 tonnes of eggshells a year!
The Wi-Phy project , conceived by VINIDEA srl and awarded with a lump sum of €53,800 as part of the B-Resilient Innovation Project , aims to revolutionize winemaking practices by unleashing the potential of phytates , a natural compound found in grape seeds .
The antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of phytates are still underexploited in the wine industry. Wi-Phy seeks to fill this gap by developing innovative extraction methods and integrating phytate into winemaking processes . Phytate , known for its antioxidant properties, is currently underutilized despite its potential benefits for wine production. The overall goal of the project is to develop innovative methods for the extraction and application of phytates within the wine value chain.
The aim of our project is to improve the process of recycling spoiled grains in the production of gourmet mushroom substrates.
After a few years in business, Eclo SRL launched a new plant in 2024 with the aim of becoming a leader in the production of mushroom substrates using co-products from other industries.
To help them in their mission, they received support from the European BResilient call (innovation category).
The project aims to reduce waste by repurposing apple pomace (AP) from traditional disposal into sustainable products like apple flour and edible items. By upcycling AP, it adds economic value and reduces environmental impact.
Through nutritional innovation, AP flour is enriched with carbohydrates, pectin, and minerals to create nutrient-dense edible products. Additionally, a range of items (e.g., spoons, cups, cones) at various Technology Readiness Levels broadens market access, enhancing adoption potential and minimizing risk. Collaboration and knowledge-sharing among stakeholders are also critical, as the project’s collaborative approach draws on expertise in apple juice production, processing technology, and product development to drive sustainable innovation and address complex environmental challenges.
Any questions?
Contact b-resilient.voucher@i4ce.eu
This project has received European funding under Grant Agreement 101074621 of which 1,12 million goes directly to Food Processing SME thanks to the B-Resilient Financial Support to Third Parties Scheme.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EISMEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
