Antoferine: an innovative eco-friendly process for chemical solvent free extraction of bioactive antifungal polyphenols from vineyard waste.
The agro-food sector is facing today crucial challenges. With a global population expected to reach 9 billion by 2050, meeting the global demand for food supply would not only require increasing production, but also to prevent food losses. Close to 50% of the global fresh produce, mostly fruits & vegetables, is lost in the post-harvest stage due to spoilage during transport and storage, with 80% caused by fungal contamination. Besides damaging product quality, fungal growth poses a risk to consumers due to secretion of mycotoxins, carcinogenic and immunogenic metabolites from fungi. The cumulative cost of post-harvest losses exceeds €200 billion annually. To prevent these losses, post-harvested produce has been traditionally protected with chemical-based solutions. However, besides the direct risk for applicators, these products also leave residues that are hazardous for consumers and the environment. Trying to find a balance between the prevention of losses and reducing risk for consumers, the EC has set residue allowance limits for synthetic compounds and seeks to replace them with natural alternatives. In response, we at Antofénol present an innovative antifungal solution of natural origin to protect fruits & vegetables in the post-harvest stage. The efficacy of our product relies on its unique composition of polyphenol extracts, obtained through a solvent-free extraction process that isolates them from vineyard waste. Importantly, besides contributing to reduce the huge post-harvest losses that affect the food sector, we would be contributing to the European circular economy by promoting valorization of an abundant agricultural waste. Altogether, the main goal of this project is to finalise the development of our biocontrol product and take our extraction process to the industrial scale. To meet these goals, in Phase 1 we see necessary to conduct a Feasibility Study that help us define the best strategy to overtake key milestones and lead us to market readiness.