About SuMaFood

Introducing SuMaFood

SuMaFood is an international partnership between 3 industrial partners, 3 universities, and R&D research institutes from Greece, Norway, Romania, and Spain. In addition, the project Consortium has four associated partners that will contribute with biomass to the project and through their involvement in an External Industry Advisory Board. SuMaFood is coordinated by SINTEF Energy Research (Norway).

SuMaFood addresses innovative utilization of marine biomasses and by-products and will demonstrate how such resources can be made available and attractive to the consumers, thus adding value to the biomass food chain. The goal is to increase the use of raw materials, extend product ranges, and to provide unique products in a growing marine food chain.
Main illustration explaining the concept of SuMaFood

Background

Globally, about one third of the food produced for human consumption is wasted every year. While more than 40% of the food losses in industrialised countries occur at retail and consumer levels, more than half of the losses take place upstream in the food supply chain.

Food waste has significant climate and environmental impacts due to increased emissions in the supply chain, waste disposal, and unnecessary use of energy, water, and land. This also has a negative impact economically in terms of the associated costs, for food security, and for securing political and economic/societal development in the world.

The Blue Bioeconomy Strategy is part of EU’s ambition to increase the use of marine resources to make products, such as novel foods and additives, animal feeds, and nutraceuticals, but also pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. Enhanced food production from marine biological resources will contribute to reduced pressure on land resources for agriculture, mitigate climate change, and enable future food security and sustainability. In addition, there are several nutritional and health benefits from marine food due to the high level of proteins, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins.

Decorative illustration about food waste
However, there is a significant potential for improvements in the marine food supply systems, since fish and other seafood constitute the commodity group with the second largest food losses and waste at 35%. An improvement of the supply systems, e.g., by waste reduction and full utilization of the biomasses, will therefore be a valuable contribution to advancing the blue bioeconomy towards increased sustainability and competitiveness.

Methodology

The main objective of SuMaFood is to develop and demonstrate eco-innovative preservation solutions for marine biomasses. The innovation cases of the project target the development of market-ready and consumer-accepted functional food and ingredients from marine by-products, aquatic overproduction, and seaweed.

SuMaFood focuses on the following technological areas within the aquatic food chain:

Two demo cases at Technological Readiness Level (TRL) 6, one for a salmon slaughter plant and another for seaweed, will be established to demonstrate waste reduction, extend product ranges, enhance product quality and stability, and to provide unique products in a growing marine food chain.