REPURPOSING OLIVE WASTE IN CIRCULAR ECONOMY SOLUTIONS FOR FEEDS, ADDITIVES, PACKAGING, AND BIOGAS

Olive is the main agricultural product of Mediterranean countries. Olive oil production results in waste and by-products (OBs) containing potential bioactive compounds. This project aims to create a circular economy model applicable at the local level and to reduce food loss and waste across six Mediterranean countries (Italy, Spain, Greece, Turkey, Algeria and Tunisia). Here, OBs will be used to feed insects that will become feed for poultry and fish, and to produce sustainable bio packaging. More specifically, the project will: a) explore OB's use in insect rearing by evaluating insect meal quality; b) investigate the effects of olive natural extracts (NE), insect meals and their association on the intestinal barrier by means of in-vitro testing; c) investigate the effects of olive NE on animal models to evaluate their antioxidant effects in-vivo; d) investigate and demonstrate the use of olive NE and insect meals as feed additives for poultry and fish farming, with the aim of enhancing animal gut health and product quality; e) investigate OB's potential in food packaging to enhance preservation and minimise food loss; f) assess the sustainability of these novel processes; and g) use insect frass, poultry manure and olive waste for biogas production to provide energy to animal or insect farms and/or local industries. The OLIWA project will reduce food losses and waste, innovate packaging, improve food quality, and produce alternative sources of sustainable energy (biogas). By proposing insects as an alternative source of proteins for animal feed and utilising OBs for insect meal production, OLIWA addresses the EU's need for sustainable food security and reduced reliance on imported feeds. Furthermore, repurposing OBs to extend the shelf life of animal products will offer consumers healthier products and producing new active bio packaging material will prolong the shelf life of such products while simultaneously reducing food waste.