VALABio research project refines innovations from food industry side streams
Current animal-based side streams contain significant amounts of nutritionally valuable components. In the future food system, the aim is both to reduce the generation of side streams by finding new uses for raw materials and to utilize the inevitably generated side streams as efficiently and as value-added as possible, for example as collagen-based ingredients in food products and in pharmaceutical preparations. This would also increase the value of the entire domestic animal-based value chain.
In the VALABio project (VALorization of Animal-based By-products into BIOactive innovations), researchers and companies are jointly developing methods to refine valuable ingredients from side streams for use in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries, as well as a basis for diagnostic solutions in production animal health. Key development areas in the project include bioactive peptides, collagen-based ingredients and milk-derived extracellular vesicles.
"We aim to generate new scientific knowledge and early-stage solutions that enable future innovations in the food, health and diagnostics sectors," says project coordinator Professor Pekka Varmanen from the University of Helsinki.
According to Professor Seppo Vainio from the University of Oulu, the university serves as a key research and competence hub in the VALABio project, combining long-standing expertise in nanobiotechnology and exosome research. The University of Oulu is responsible for integrating basic research with applied development, particularly in extracellular vesicles, the utilization of food production side streams, and the development of new biosensor and drug-targeting solutions. The research examines, among other things, milk exosomes as a natural communication system that can be used to develop new methods for understanding bodily functions and diseases.
“Our expertise in skeletal biology, collagen research, tissue engineering and 3D bioprinting supports the development of new biomaterials and biosensors. The aim is to strengthen collaboration between companies and promote the application of nanobiotechnology as part of the broad innovation ecosystem of the VALABio project,” Vainio says.
Circular economy solutions and better animal health
VALABio promotes the circular economy by improving resource efficiency and creating new value from existing biomass.
“Current animal-based side streams contain significant amount of nutritionally valuable components. In a future food system, those components should be valorized and incorporated into the most suitable products, such as food and pharmaceuticals. This will subsequently increase the value of the whole domestic animal-based value-chain. At Valio we are particularly interested in better utilization of extracellular vesicles and bioactive peptides from dairy production side streams. There is a lot to discover in peptides and dairy extracellular vesicles which open an entirely new channel to deliver targeted health benefits through food. VALABio offers an incredibly cross-industrial consortium to build know-how on detection, enrichment, and modification of the target components within side streams”, says Valio’s Project Manager Mikko Immonen.
At the same time, the project supports the health of production animals and the responsible use of antimicrobials on livestock farms by developing early diagnostic methods.
"In the VALABio project, Canatu applies its carbon-nanotube-based sensor technology in a new biological context by combining it with extracellular vesicle research. This opens new opportunities for measuring biological information, and the technology platform's potential extends from animal health and food-chain analytics to medical research in the long term," says Canatu's Chief Technology Officer Ilkka Varjos.
A broad consortium brings results into practice
A broad project consortium ensures that research results are smoothly translated into practical applications.
Valio’s Mikko Immonen is pleased with the consortium composition: "VALABio offers an exceptionally cross-disciplinary consortium that builds expertise in detecting, enriching and modifying target ingredients from side streams."
The project brings together the University of Helsinki, the University of Oulu and Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences, along with nine companies: Brinter AM Technologies, Canatu, Ginolis, GMM Finland, Hankkija, HKFoods Finland, Orion Pharma, Valio and Vetcare. VALABio is also connected to the following Business Finland Veturi programmes: Valio’s Food 2.0, Canatu’s Carbon Age and Orion’s A Digital Boost for the Pharmaceutical R&D.