SusOrgPlus:

International research, from Norway to Italy:

The development of smart and energy-saving processing chains, natural food additives and colours, and supporting materials for a guide to increase the sustainability and consumer acceptance of organic food, is the focus of this international research project.

Aims of the project:

The organic sector has made considerable efforts in recent years to develop clear procedures for gentle and quality-oriented processing of animal and plant foods and to complement existing regulations. However, there is still a significant need for the development of a Code of Practice (CoP). The quality of a product and the sustainability of production depend on the joint impacts of the individual processing steps in the food chain and their interaction. Many of the influencing factors are currently unknown.

Sustainability of food processing chains:

SusOrgPlus aims to improve the sustainability of food processing and the nutritional value of processed organic products. For this purpose, smart food drying equipment, renewable energy drying solutions, value addition, natural food additives and supporting material for a relevant code of conduct are developed with the aim of obtaining high quality products with low environmental impact. The EU is the primary target region of the project, dissemination in developing and emerging countries will be possible through student mentoring at different levels and stakeholder action.

Expected results:

  • New, cost-effective and intelligent processing systems for high value ingredients and nutrient-rich dry products (and their further processing)
  • New organic products with enhanced value in the form of extracts and powders
  • Reducing environmental impact by increasing raw material utilisation and developing CO2-neutral heat pump-based drying systems
  • Supporting information for the development of a Code of Practice
  • Founded database for life cycle assessments, life cycle assessments, life cycle cost calculations for selected products
  • Highly qualified graduates who are aware of organic food

International partners:

  • University of Kassel (Germany)
  • Innotech Ingenieursgesellschaft mbH (Germany)
  • SINTEF Energy Research (Norway)
  • Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (Sweden)
  • University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Bucharest (Romania)
  • University of Teramo (Italy)
  • University of Tuscia, Viterbo (Italy)

Further information:

The project started in May 2018 and will last until the end of April 2021. It is funded through the ERA-net CORE Organic Cofund, which consists of funding from the participating countries and funding from the European Union. A detailed overview and further information can be found on the project's homepage: https://susorgplus.eu

Funding notice:

The project was funded by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) on the basis of a resolution of the German Bundestag. The project was carried out by the Federal Agency for Agriculture and Food (BLE) within the framework of the Federal Program for Organic Farming and Other Forms of Sustainable Agriculture.