Agri-food: ENEA, high-value products from Campanian Annurca apple waste

The goal of the Valmegrea project, conducted by ENEA in collaboration with the Terra Nostra farm, in line with the principles of the circular bioeconomy, is turning the waste from an excellent Italian product like the PGI Campanian Annurca apple into high-value resources for various applications (food, nutraceuticals, cosmetics). 

In the agri-food sector, between 10% and 35% of apple production is destined for industrial processing, generating often overlooked by-products like -peels, seeds and cores. This problem also directly affects the Annurca apple, a variety known since Roman times and traditionally grown in the Phlegraean and Vesuvian areas. The Valmegrea project aims to reduce waste and open up new economic opportunities through the application of two main techniques: freeze-drying, which produces concentrated powders while preserving the nutritional and functional properties of by-products and supercritical CO2 extraction, which yields oils and lipophilic molecules without solvent residues in the final product. These processes allow the recovery of polyphenols and polyunsaturated fatty acids, which can then be used to make functional foods or for use in nutraceuticals, cosmetics and, more generally, in the thriving market for high-end natural ingredients.

“We are developing an integrated process that takes into account supply basins, energy costs and plant engineering costs, while systematizing the commercial value of the various extracts to verify the application of the technological solutions in real-world contexts” explained project creator Antonio Molino, an ENEA researcher at the Regenerative Circular Bioeconomy Laboratory within the Sustainability Department. “This approach” he said “allows us to move from an initial proof-of-concept phase to true industrial scalability, making the technologies applicable to the target markets”.

The activities include: supercritical CO2 extraction tests on bench-scale and pilot-scale at the ENEA Research Centers in Casaccia (Rome) and Trisaia (Matera); integrated processes and analytical characterization activities at the Portici Center (Naples).

“The Valmegrea project demonstrates how it is possible to transform agri-food byproducts into tangible and valuable resources. The goal is to reduce waste and maximize the nutritional and functional properties of bioactive compounds, while creating new sustainable economic opportunities” concluded project manager Patrizia Casella, an ENEA researcher at the Regenerative Circular Bioeconomy Laboratory.