Completed

EnzYmes for improved sensory qUality of MicroALGAE ingredients in foods

Higher Institute of Agronomy ·Portugal

€991k

Grant awarded

Blue Growth Innovation and SMEs

Programme

9 November 2021

Signed

About this project

A recent analysis on opinions in social media regarding consumption of microalgae-based food products (especially Spirulina) indicated that are very few negative sentiments, but most that were negative, were related to smell (unpublished results, EU project PROFUTURE). The incorporation of microalgae has limitations in terms of sensory properties and consumer acceptance, mainly due to coloration and marine flavor. YUM ALGAE aims to improve the overall sensory quality of microalgal ingredients by using enzymes, which will target two of the major organoleptic bottlenecks: the fish-like smell associated to volatile compounds and the green dark color from the microalgal pigments. Microalgae subjected to the enzymatic process developed within the project can be used as natural, innovative and sustainable ingredients to nutritionally enrich food products, using high incorporation levels, reaching higher sensory analysis scores in terms of global appreciation and buying intention. Microalgae have an increasing role in direct use in food products, be it for their health benefits, natural pigments, or as vegan protein source. In addition to the nutritional value, the incorporation of microalgae in food matrices can lead to changes in the sensory properties. In this project, two staple foods will be considered as case studies: bread and cheese, in which microalgae subjected to enzymatic treatment and produced without treatment will be incorporated, in order to assess the impact on the sensory profile.

Bilateral cooperation results

The consortium of the YUM Algae project significantly benefited from having a donor project partner (NORCE) by enhancing knowledge exchange and mutual understanding among all involved entities. All partners had complementary expertise in key areas for the successful accomplishment of the project’s objectives and this was central in order to mitigate some unexpected deviations to the work plan. This bilateral collaboration has not only led to shared results, but also broader impacts, such as knowledge exchange, thus influencing practices beyond the project’s scope. For example, it is worth mention that the entire consortium came together for project meetings, with fruitful discussions, but also that two scientific exchanges were made, thus enabling teams from both countries, Portugal and Norway, to learn from working closely together. For instance, the knowledge created within YUM Algae has a broad significance and our findings are now being applied in related contexts, leading to post-project ongoing cooperation on recently emerged issues. Finally, this partnership has also heightened visibility through media coverage tied to bilateral activities, which is important for bridging the gap between science and the final consumer, especially for increasing public awareness about the environmental and health benefits of adopting microalgae as a food ingredient. All dissemination activities for the general public undertaken by the partners also contributed for this objective, allowing us to cover a broad geographic scale, i.e., Portuguese and Norwegian communities, within different social and cultural contexts. As a result of very positive interactions between consortium partners, both personally and scientifically, a proposal for an EU project is underway, to be submitted in September 2024. In this proposal, much of the knowledge generated will be capitalized for new applications. It will be another collaboration with NORCE.

Project partners

Norwegian Research Center AS Donor project partner· Norway
Pagarete Microalgae Solutions Soc. Unipessoal Lda Project partner· Portugal
Higher Technical Institute Project partner· Portugal

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