VALITEXT – Valorisation of by-products through low and high humidity extrusion processes for the development of innovative products

The consumption of plant-based foods and alternative proteins is a growing trend among consumers worldwide, with different types of diets such as the vegan diet, vegetarian diet and flexitarian diet standing out. The increasing popularity of these diets has created a unique market opportunity for companies that traditionally specialised in animal-based protein products, allowing them to diversify and offer plant-based alternatives with plant-based products or meat analogues. Currently, meat analogues, despite some exceptions, are developed from texturised vegetable proteins. These aim to replace products with a high content of animal protein with alternatives that offer an abundant amount of protein of plant origin or from other sources, while mimicking the sensory characteristics of meat products, such as taste, colour and texture.

This project aims to valorise by-products of the food industry using extrusion technology to obtain innovative food products with high nutritional value. The development of these products is aimed at supporting the Catalan agri-food sector: valorising the by-products they generate and generating a more efficient and sustainable food production system.

Action of the Strategic Plan of the PAC 2023-2027 co-funded by: