Valorisation of Seafood Side-Streams through the Design of New Holistic Value Chains: WaSeaBi Project

Erasmo Cadena, Ozan Kocak, Jo Dewulf, Bruno Iñarra, Carlos Bald, Monica Gutierrez, David San Martin, Jone Ibarruri, Ann-Dorit Moltke Sørensen, Grethe Hyldig, Mehdi Abdollahi, Ingrid Undeland, Bita Forghani, Haizhou Wu, Geert Bruggeman and Charlotte Jacobsen ()
Additional contact information
Erasmo Cadena: Sustainable Systems Engineering (STEN), Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
Ozan Kocak: Sustainable Systems Engineering (STEN), Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
Jo Dewulf: Sustainable Systems Engineering (STEN), Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
Bruno Iñarra: AZTI, Food Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, Astondo Bidea, Building 609, 48160 Derio, Spain
Carlos Bald: AZTI, Food Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, Astondo Bidea, Building 609, 48160 Derio, Spain
Monica Gutierrez: AZTI, Food Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, Astondo Bidea, Building 609, 48160 Derio, Spain
David San Martin: AZTI, Food Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, Astondo Bidea, Building 609, 48160 Derio, Spain
Jone Ibarruri: AZTI, Food Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, Astondo Bidea, Building 609, 48160 Derio, Spain
Ann-Dorit Moltke Sørensen: DTU Food, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
Grethe Hyldig: DTU Food, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
Mehdi Abdollahi: Department of Life Sciences—Food and Nutrition Science, Chalmers University of Technology, SE 412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
Ingrid Undeland: Department of Life Sciences—Food and Nutrition Science, Chalmers University of Technology, SE 412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
Bita Forghani: Department of Life Sciences—Food and Nutrition Science, Chalmers University of Technology, SE 412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
Haizhou Wu: Department of Life Sciences—Food and Nutrition Science, Chalmers University of Technology, SE 412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
Geert Bruggeman: Nutrition Sciences N.V., Booiebos 5, B-9031 Ghent, Belgium
Charlotte Jacobsen: DTU Food, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 5, 1-18

Abstract: Growing demand in the fisheries sector has resulted in a high generation of side-streams that are mainly treated as waste despite their potential value in terms of protein, fatty acids, and minerals. The WaSeaBi project, funded by the EU under the Horizon 2020 BBI JU initiative, seeks to address this problem by promoting the sustainable and economically viable utilisation of these side-streams, thus contributing to improved food security and environmental conservation. The project focuses on the development of innovative technologies and methodologies for the efficient valorisation of seafood side-streams into marketable products such as protein-based food ingredients, bioactive peptides, and mineral supplements. The WaSeaBi project started with a comprehensive analysis to identify the bottlenecks hindering the efficient utilisation of side-streams. To this end, a comprehensive study of the European seafood industry was conducted to understand the existing challenges. The main obstacles identified were technological deficiencies, lack of space and personnel, and a limited market for the resulting products. Several laboratory-scale technologies, such as pH-shift, enzymatic hydrolysis, membrane concentration, and flocculation with centrifugation, were explored in order to extract valuable components from the side-streams. Subsequently, these technologies were scaled-up and tested on a pilot scale. For example, membrane concentration technology facilitated the recovery of valuable molecules from mussel cooking side-streams while reducing environmental impact. Flocculation helped recover proteins and phosphates from process waters, crucial for reducing the organic load of effluents. In addition, decision-making tools were developed to help select and build the most appropriate valorisation strategies, taking into account technical, legal, economic, and environmental aspects. Environmental sustainability was assessed through life cycle assessment, which highlighted the factors that contribute most to the environmental impact of each technology. The results revealed that reducing chemical consumption and improving energy efficiency are key to optimising the environmental performance of the valorisation technologies. The WaSeaBi project outlines a promising path towards sustainable and economically beneficial utilisation of seafood side-streams. By employing innovative technologies, the project not only contributes to reducing waste and environmental impact, but also facilitates the transformation of low-value side-streams into high-value products. In addition, it provides a structured framework to help industry stakeholders make informed decisions on the valorisation of secondary streams. This initiative marks a substantial step towards a more sustainable and economically viable fisheries and aquaculture industry, setting a precedent for future projects aimed at overcoming technological and infrastructural barriers to the valorisation of seafood side-streams.

Keywords: seafood side-streams; enzymatic hydrolysis; pH-shift technology; membrane concentration; flocculation; savoury compound recovery; side-stream valorisation; carbon footprint (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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