Acronym MICROMEGA3
Category
Fisheries
Title Microencapsulation processes of oils enriched in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids employing protein hydrolysates with antioxidant and emulsifying activity Programme National Programme
Instrument (FP6)
Contact Type (FP7)
Strand (Interreg)
NA
Theme (FP7)
Activity Area (FP6)
Regional Area (Interreg)
Action (COST)
NA
Specific Programme (FP7)
NA
Funding source National Coordinator NA Coordinator email NA
Coordinator institution
UGR - University of Granada (Spain)
Institutions involved
NA
Start year 2015 End year 2018 Funding (€) € 166,980 Website NA Summary The market for products enriched in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids is in a continuous growth both in the European Union and in the United States. Increments in the sales volume of 30-40 % are estimated for the coming years. Currently, 80 % of the omega-3 amount needed for the fabrication of these products comes from fish oil. The main drawback for the incorporation of omega-3 to food matrices is its high oxidative reactivity, which gives place to alterations in stability, odor and taste. Then, it is needed the employment of emulsion and microencapsulation techniques with antioxidant and emulsifying components in order to increase the oxidative stability.
On the other hand, from the fishing resources point of view, fish discards compose an important economic and environmental problem. Its continuous practice endangers the fisheries, not only because of the lost of natural resources (since the unwanted catch is returned to the sea), but also because the excess in organic matter favor the proliferation of predating species which alter the trophic chains and the ecosystem.
This has motivated a European Union zero-discards policy that will demand the landing of all the catch. Approved in 2013, it will enter into force in the community fisheries in the following years, 2015-2019. In spain, with a 14% of the total European Union catches, the volume of discards is noticeable. Among the species with higher discard rate, sardine (sardina pilchardus), horse mackerel (trachurus mediterraneus) and blue whiting (micromesistius poutassou) highlight. These species present a high content in protein, between 15-22%, with a high oil content in sardine and horse mackerel, reaching values of 16 and 6.5% respectively. Besides, their lipid profiles present a high content in pufas (43.9% sardina, 33.1% horse mackerel), especially EPA and DHA.
Therefore, their biochemical compositions make their biotechnological valorization profitable. By means of physical methods, such as low-temperature crystallization, and enzymatic methods, such as esterification and glycerolysis, it is possible to enrich the content in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids of these oils. By means of enzymatic hydrolysis of the protein fraction of these discards, it is possible to obtain hidrolysates with antioxidant and emulsifying capacities. Then, the general objective of this research project is to develop techniques of emulsion and microencapsulation of oils enriched in omega-3 polyunsaturated free fatty acids employing fish protein hydrolysates with antioxidant and emulsifying capacities. Both fractions, lipid and protein, will have an origin in the fish discards.
The achievement of the objectives proposed will contribute with new scientific and technical knowledge to the development of products of growing interest for the food industry, such as, fish oil enriched in omega-3; antioxidant and emulsifying ingredients that may be also employed as encapsulating agents; and oil enriched in omega-3 in microencapsulated form ready for its incorporation if food matrices. Besides, the valorization of the fish species with lower commercial value will facilitate the deployment of the zero-discards policies.
Keywords
Waste valorization;
Discard;
Sardine;
Wastes;
Mackerel;
Fish;
Blue whiting;
Marine Region
76
Not associated to marine areas
0
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