The international workshop “Ideas for adding value from waste for healthy food systems: from product to market” took place on November 23, and was attended by around 20 participants. The event, which was held in a virtual format due to the Covid-19 pandemic, finalizes the activities of a project funded by the Danish Agency for Science and Higher Education, led by Danish researchers from Aarhus University (Denmark) and Brazilian researchers from Embrapa Agroindústria de Alimentos (Rio de Janeiro, RJ).
After institutional presentations, the dynamics of the meeting continued with a round of presentations of ongoing research by teams from Denmark and Brazil. A broad and diverse set of research linked to technologies and consumer perception studies on more sustainable and healthier products, such as packaging, functional and plant-based foods, was presented from the University of Arrhus. From Embrapa Agroindústria de Alimentos, the most recent results and ongoing research on advanced food processing techniques, bioproducts, bioaccessibility of tropical fruits, reuse of agroindustrial waste, and Brazilian consumers' perception of plant-based products, labeling of low carbon foods and meat. “I believe that this project generated a valuable opportunity to establish a permanent dialogue channel with an internationally recognized food research team, very productive and easy to get along with. We had the opportunity to conduct research together for two years and are now articulating new actions for the next few years”, says Rosires Deliza, researcher at Embrapa Agroindústria de Alimentos and focal point of the project in Brazil.
Under the leadership of Jessica Aschemann-Witzel, director of the Department of Management at Aarhus University and the MAPP Center - Center for Research on Value Adding in the Food Sector, the project sought to bring together and strengthen scientific and technological exchange between researchers from Denmark and of Brazil, in favor of technological solutions for the sustainability of food systems. “We would have liked to have received Brazilian scientists here in Denmark in 2021, to personally discuss opportunities for scientific cooperation, but we held this virtual meeting today and remain in contact for future opportunities”, said the Danish woman, Jessica Aschemann-Witzel.
In 2019, a similar event brought together Danish and Brazilian researchers in person at Embrapa Agroindústria de Alimentos, in Rio de Janeiro, with the participation of researchers from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ ), Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Unirio) and National Institute of Technology (INT). As a result of this initiative, joint research was carried out, which resulted in the publication of two articles in international scientific journals in 2021: “Taste perceptions mediate the effect of a health goal on food choice"and "Sustainable use of tropical fruits? Challenges and opportunities of applying the waste-to-value concept to international value chains”, both available on open data platforms. Two new articles are also being produced by Brazilian and Danish researchers to be published in 2022.
As a result of the presentations at this last meeting, new topics for joint research were identified, such as laboratory-produced protein foods, alternative protein sources, use of bioactive compounds from tropical fruits and vegan products. It is a sign that researchers are aligned and attentive to current trends and demands of the consumer market.
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