IPSUS

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Climate smart food innovation using plant and seaweed proteins from upcycled sources (ERA-Net SUSFOOD2)

Keywords: upcycled plant and seaweed proteins, plant-based food, meat alternative and cheese alternative,
sustainable protein shift, food loss and waste

PUBLISHABLE PROJECT ABSTRACT
Food choices impact human and planetary health. The negative environmental impacts of the food system, increasing food insecurity and the prevalence of unhealthy diets are driving policymakers, scientists, companies and consumers to demand sustainable solutions. Globally, livestock emits 14.5% of GHGs, causes 30% of biodiversity loss, and meat demand is projected to double by 2050. Transitioning diets to more sustainable sources of protein is crucial. Plant-based proteins are currently the fastest growing food trend but are dependent on soy. The IPSUS project will exploit opportunities for extracting upcycled plant and seaweed proteins from raw materials otherwise destined to join the ~1.6 billion tonnes of annual global food loss and waste (FLW). Six protein-rich sources (pumpkin, hazelnut, grape, potato, brewers’ spent grain, seaweeds) were selected for study across partner countries (UK, Italy, Romania, Turkey, Morocco). The quantity, quality and upcycling opportunities of FLW along these value chains will be investigated. Novel protein extraction methods will be tested to identify less energy-intensive and more affordable techniques. The related nutritional quality and safety of the plant and seaweed sources and upcycled proteins will be assessed, taking bio-accessibility and potential allergenicity into account. Initially incorporation of upcycled FLW proteins into meat alternative and dairy alternative formulations will be at lab-scale, followed by prototype development at pilot-scale by the industrial partners. Instrumental and sensory acceptability of the prototypes will be compared to existing products, additionally targeting improved nutritional (low salt, sugar, fat) and clean label (no chemical additives) offerings currently lacking in the alternative protein range. Exploration of consumer behaviours, preferences and the enabling regulatory and policy environment will reveal drivers and barriers of the sustainable upcycled plant-based protein shift.

Stage 1. Analysis of the current state of knowledge, the specific market, and the properties of wine crops on a national and European level 01/04/2022 – 30/12/2022

Activity 1.1 – Analysis of the current state of knowledge and the market in the field of biomass

In this activity, the Romanian market for biomass was analyzed, mainly studying the reuse of pomace and potato waste. Grape pomace can be used as a substrate for microbial protein production. It has multiple roles, serving as an alternative source of high-quality protein in animal feed or directly as an alternative protein source for human nutrition. Potatoes are the fourth most important crop in the world and represent an important source of biomass production.

Activity 1.2 – Analysis of the properties of wine crops on a national and European level

 Within this activity, the properties of the vinicultural crops in Romania and in Europe were analyzed, from the point of view of the relief, the climate and the cultivated grape varieties. In general terms, the wine-growing region is a large habitat that presents the same characteristics in terms of ecological conditions, the assortment of varieties and the maintenance technologies applied to the vines and to obtain the wines. The European Union (EU) had 3.2 million hectares of vines in 2020, which represents about 45% of the world’s wine-growing areas.

Results

During Stage I of the IPSUS project, the current state of knowledge and the market was analysed, which provides a broad vision of the Romanian market for biomass, defining at the same time applications for the reuse of pomace and potato waste. Grape pomace can be used as a substrate for microbial protein production and serve as an alternative source of high-quality protein in animal feed or human nutrition.

Also, the study on the analysis of the properties of wine crops on a national and European level focuses on the properties of wine crops in Romania and in Europe, from the point of view of relief, climate and grape varieties grown. In general terms, the wine-growing region is a large habitat that presents the same characteristics in terms of ecological conditions, the assortment of varieties and the maintenance technologies applied to the vines and to obtain the wines.

Following the analyzes carried out in the specialized literature, it was concluded that in the Czech Republic, Germany, Luxembourg, Austria and Slovenia, all vine crops are dedicated exclusively to the production of quality wines, while in Romania, the majority ( 72.1% in 2020) of vine crops are dedicated to table wine production.

Stage 2: Architecture definition, design, development and implementation of the vineyard monitoring platform– 01.01.2023 – 31.12.2023

Activity 2.1 Defining the architecture and designing the functional modules

Activity 2.1 in the IPSUS project focuses on the development of functional architectures and modules for monitoring vine and potato crops, with a focus on advanced technologies and IoT solutions. IoT solutions have enabled the development of efficient systems for remote monitoring, contributing to the efficiency of agricultural processes. The work also solved the problem of waste management in grape and potato production by identifying losses and developing a real-time monitoring architecture. The modular and scalable architecture of the IPSUS solution integrates hardware with software, providing flexibility and efficiency in collecting and communicating IoT data, with significant benefits in decision making and risk reduction in agriculture.

Activity 2.2 Development and implementation of the viticulture monitoring platform

Under Activity 2.2 of the IPSUS project, we developed and implemented a monitoring solution for vineyard crops using the Smart Agriculture PRO station and specialised sensors. The collected data was transferred to an InfluxDB database via a gateway using the MQTT protocol. The Grafana platform was used for real-time display and analysis of relevant parameters. This information was crucial in assessing the quality of the vineyard crop and supporting decisions on irrigation and vineyard treatments.

Results

In Phase II of the IPSUS project, advanced monitoring solutions for vine and potato crops based on IoT technologies were defined. These innovations have revolutionised crop management, improving production quality and reducing environmental impact. Internet of Things (IoT)-based solutions have also been explored to develop efficient systems for remote monitoring of these crops, contributing to the efficiency of agricultural processes. In addition, the problem of waste management in grape and potato production was successfully addressed by identifying the stages with the highest losses and wastage and developing a real-time monitoring architecture.

The modular and scalable architecture of the IPSUS solution successfully integrated hardware and software, facilitating IoT data collection and management. The Grafana platform simplified data analysis and visualization, supporting decision making and reducing risk in agriculture. Thus, the solution developed for monitoring vineyard crops has significantly contributed to improving their quality and making informed decisions on irrigation and agricultural treatments.

Stage 3: Testing, validation, coordination and dissemination– 01.01.2024 – 31.12.2024

Activity 3.1 Testing and validating the viticulture monitoring platform

The validation process of the vineyard crop monitoring platform has demonstrated that the system efficiently and reliably fulfills the requirements established at the beginning of the project. The platform proved robust functionality in a real use environment, maintaining high performance and adaptability to climatic and operational variables specific to viticulture. The accuracy and precision of the data collected by the system have been validated through rigorous comparisons with reference equipment, thus confirming the users’ confidence in the reliability of the information provided. The platform’s intuitive and user-friendly interface has received positive feedback from users, demonstrating that it can meet their diverse needs without technical difficulties. Additional elements such as energy efficiency and the ability to provide real-time updates have underlined the system’s competitive advantages, contributing to a significant reduction of losses in vineyard crops. Overall, the IPSUS platform was able to significantly improve crop management, increasing productivity and optimizing resources. These results validate the platform as a viable and effective solution for monitoring and managing vineyard crops, thus ensuring a positive impact on modern viticulture. Based on these findings, it is recommended to further develop and extend the platform’s functionalities to continue to meet emerging user needs and support innovations in agriculture.

Activity 3.2 Coordination and dissemination – presenting the conferences and workshops where the IPSUS project has been disseminated.

Results

The conclusions of Stage III of the vineyard crop monitoring project highlight that the developed platform is functional, accurate, and efficient. Tests have shown that the system operates reliably in real-world environments, with an uptime rate of over 99%, providing precise data on key parameters for viticulture. The data collected by sensors was validated by comparing it with reference equipment, confirming an accuracy of over 95%. The platform’s interface was evaluated as intuitive and user-friendly, receiving positive feedback from users. Additionally, the system’s energy efficiency, ensured by the use of solar power, was proven. The system successfully transmitted real-time data and reduced losses in grapevine crops through proactive monitoring and user alerts in case of unfavorable conditions.
In conclusion, the IPSUS platform has proven its efficiency in vineyard crop monitoring and management, increasing productivity and optimizing resources. Continued development and expansion of the platform are recommended to address emerging needs in agriculture.

Dissemination activities

Conference participation in 2024:

  • Participation in SIMI 2024, „ The 27th International Symposium «Environment and Industry», September 19th – 20th, 2024, cu articolul Advanced Solution for Urban Gardens Based on IoT Systems, Prediction Algorithms and Multi-Criteria Application, Eng. Andrei-Bogdan Dănilă, ing. Robert-Alexandru Streche, ing. Oana Orza, Dr. ing. Cristina Dobre , Dr. ing. George Suciu
  • Participation at the SIITME 2024 conference, October 16 -19, 2024, Sibiu , Romania and presentation of the paper Smart Solutions for Sustainable Urban and Food System Development, authors A.B. Danila, R.A. Streche, O. Orza, F.E. Osiac, C.M. Dobre and G.. Suciu, https://siitme.ro.

Events in 2024:

  • AgriPlanta – RomAgroTec 23-26 May  2024

Other dissemination activities

Web page : http://www.beiaro.eu/ipsus/

Publications in 2022:

  • Somayajula, V.K.A.; Ghai, D.; Kumar, S.; Tripathi, S.L.; Verma,C.; Safirescu, C.O.; Mihaltan, T.C. Classification and Validation of Spatio-Temporal Changes in Land Use/Land Cover and Land Surface
    Temperature of Multitemporal Images    , Sustainability 2022, 14, 15677. https://doi.org/10.3390/su142315677,Publicat 25 Noiembrie 2022
  • Dhabliya, D.;Soundararajan, R.; Selvarasu, P.;Balasubramaniam, M.S.; Rajawat, A.S.; Goyal, S.B.; Raboaca, M.S.; Mihaltan, T.C.; Verma, C.; Suciu, G. Energy-Efficient Network Protocols and Resilient Data Transmission Schemes forWireless Sensor Networks—An Experimental Survey. Energies 2022, 15, 8883. https:// doi.org/10.3390/en15238883, Publicat 24 Noiembrie 2022

Project meeting

Beia attended the annual project meeting on 26-28 October at the University of Parma, Tecnopolo, Pav. 33, Parco Area delle Scienze – University Campus, 43124, Parma.

Conference participation

  • ATOM-N Conference – 11th edition of the International Conference “Advanced Topics in Optoelectronics, Microelectronics and Nanotechnologies”, August 25-28, 2022, Constanța, Romania. Publication: Advanced precision farming techniques employing WSN and UAV, Authors: Cristina-Mihaela Bălăceanu, Robert-Alexandru Streche, Roxana Roscăneanu, Filip-Emanuel.
  • International Conference – 10th IEEE International Conference on E-Health and Bioengineering – EHB 2022 Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi, Romania, November 17-18, 2022. Publication: Diseases Detection System based on Machine Learning Algorithms and Internet of Things Technology used in Viticulture, authors: Cristina Balaceanu, Robert Streche, Roxana Roscaneanu, Filip Osiac, Oana Orza, Sabina Bosoc, George Suciu. BEIA participated in the conference where they presented the article that was based on the IPSUS project..
  • International Symposium ISB-INMA TECH – Technologies and technical systems in agriculture, food industryand environment, Smart Systems Integration For Improved Disease Detection And Crop Optimization In Romanian Viticulture, Andrei DANILA, Robert STRECHE, Oana ORZA, Sabina BOSOC, Cristina Mihaela DOBRE, George SUCIU. BEIA attended the conference where he presented the paper which was based on the IPSUS project.
  • 26th International Symposium “The Environment And The Industry”, SIMI 2023. BEIA presented the paper “Minimizing Food Loss And Repurposing Waste Within The Viticulture Industry” based on the IPSUS project, authors: Robert Streche, Oana Orza, Sabina Bosoc, Cristina Dobre, Andrei Danila, Larisa Carp, George Suciu.
  • SIITME 2023 IEEE 29th International Symposium for Design and Technology in Electronic Packaging 18th-21st October, Craiova, Romania Conference & Exhibition. BEIA prezent the article „The Reuse of Food Loss and Waste in the Viticulture Sector”, R.Streche, O. Orza, C.S. Bosoc, C. Balaceanu and G. Suciu

Events in 2022:

  • GoTech World 2022

BEIA participated as exhibitor in GoTech World 2022, the largest B2B conference & expo in Central and Eastern Europe on 3-4 November 2022 and had the opportunity to disseminate the IPSUS  project.

Visit website here: https://www.gotech.world/

  • SCEWC (Smart City Expo World Congress) 2022

Our company participates in SCEWC (Smart City Expo World Congress) 2022 on 15-17 November 2022 in Barcelona, Spain. It’s a great opportunity for BEIA to disseminate the  IPSUS  project with participants.

Visit website here: https://www.smartcityexpo.com/

  • TAFIE 2022 & ROMAT 2022

BEIA participated in TAFIE & ROMAT 2022 fairs in Bucharest, Romania on 23-25 November 2022. It was a great opportunity to disseminate the IPSUS  project.

Events in 2023:

  • GoTech World 2023
    BEIA attended GoTech World 2023, a major conference in Eastern Europe, on 8-9 November 2023 and had the opportunity to disseminate the IPSUS project.  Event webpage: https://www.gotech.world/
  •  INDAGRA 2023
    BEIA participated in the INDAGRA 2023 event on 25-29 October in Bucharest, Romania. During this conference, BEIA had the opportunity to present the IPSUS project. Conference webpage:https://www.indagra.ro/en/

Website

Check the official website here.

Social Media

Twitter here: https://twitter.com/IpsusProjectEU

Visual Materials

Flyer-IPSUSDownload