VeggieMine

General objectives

Consumers today want lots of variety on their plate. This is putting forgotten and new vegetables back in the limelight, and processors are starting to take notice too. The choices are diverse and - with good knowledge - the nutritional potential is a goldmine. Knowledge about the composition, functionality and bioactivity of new or forgotten vegetables and how they are influenced by processing is essential. The greatest unknown is the value of by-products and residues that may result from processing them. This is also still an ongoing question regarding by-products and residues from vegetables processed in the traditional manner. They often flow through to cattle feed applications, agricultural applications (e.g. organic fertilisers), the company's water purification or energy generation (including fermentation). Yet they contain valuable components such as fibres, vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, natural colourings, etc. This means they have the potential to (in part) supply more added value in the form of food ingredients or, if we dare to dream, new food products.

The variety of vegetables forms the base of the potential but at the same time, also the challenge of what vegetable processing stands for. This concept supports all businesses in their search in two ways. On the one hand, by gaining new knowledge about the value of alternative vegetables for processing and, on the other hand, by looking further into the valorisation potential of by-products and residues from vegetable processing for optimal use.

Expected results

• Expansion of the product range in which new flavours (vegetables) go hand in hand with high nutritional value
• New, high quality derivatives, food ingredients or food products derived from the vegetable production process