We are a research team from the University Autonoma of Madrid, based at CIAL (Food Science Research Institute) as part of the INGREEN (Healthy Food Ingredients) group.
Our group focuses on the development of healthy and sustainable ingredients, from natural sources and biomasses, including strategies for the valorisation of by-products.

We would like to join a consortium mainly related to Topic 2, towards diverse, sustainable and circular food processing systems. Within such Topic, we can contribute as a technology and ingredient development partner, bringing applied expertise across the following areas:

• By-products valorisation through bioconversion strategies based on edible insects. We use agri-food by-products and side-streams as insect feedstocks to generate value-added outputs for food and feed (ingredients, protein concentrates, oils and fats, bioactive extracts, biofertilizers…) as well as non-food applications (biomaterials, biofuels, biocosmetics…).
• By-products valorisation through green extraction of bioactive compounds or biomaterials applying advanced and sustainable processing technologies. We have experience with a wide range of matrices, including those of plant origin (herbs, seeds, legumes, algae, husks, peels, shells, oilseed cakes, pomaces) and animal origin (fish-, seafood-, meat- and insect-derived fractions), as well as general lipid-based products (oils and fats, including chemical and enzymatic modifications).
• Pilot-scale development. Through the NOVALINDUS platform at CIAL, which integrates different processing and extraction technologies (PLE, SFE, UAE, mechanical pressing) and enables the scale-up of extraction and fractionation processes.
• Analytical and functional validation, including chemical characterization of developed ingredients and biomolecules, and in vitro assessment of bioactivity to support functionality, quality, and application-oriented products.

The INGREEN team has more than 25 years of experience in the development of sustainable ingredients and food solutions with targeted health applications. The group is based at CIAL and operates eight fully equipped laboratories, while also leading the NOVALINDUS Innovation Platform for the Food Industry, a strategic infrastructure supporting applied research, scale-up, and industry collaboration.

Key strengths of the team include:
• Multidisciplinary research. Strong participation and leadership in competitive national and international projects, including Horizon Europe and EIC Pathfinder initiatives (e.g. DiBaN, ENTOMOTIVE, ACUINSECT, ECOPROLIVE), covering the full value chain from raw materials to functional evaluation.
• Sustainability-driven innovation. Circular economy approaches, including biomass and by-product valorisation, insect-based bioconversion, resource-efficient processing, and the application of green chemistry principles.
• Advanced technological infrastructure. Access to state-of-the-art extraction, fractionation, and biorefinery tools, as well as analytical platforms, complemented by a broad portfolio of in vitro bioactivity.
• Scale-up. Capability to translate laboratory concepts to pilot-scale processes, supporting the development of ingredients, novel foods, and extracts for the food, nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic sectors.
• Experience with complex matrices. High adaptability to diverse and variable raw materials, addressing challenges related to compositional heterogeneity, stability, purity, and yield.
• Public–private collaboration. Experience working with industry partners through contract research, co-development projects, and technology transfer activities.

For more information:
https://www.cial.uam-csic.es/investigacion/departamentos/departamento-de-produccion-y-caracterizacion-de-nuevos-alimentos/grupo-de-ingredientes-alimentarios-saludables/
https://www.cial.uam-csic.es/servicios/novalindus/

Contact to: diana.martin@uam.es; david.villanueva@uam.es; luis.vazquez@uam.es