MARine bioMass valorizAtion for fooD and fEed innovation

The MARMADE project aims to develop sustainable, high-value food and feed ingredients from marine biomass, focusing on crustacean residues (shrimp shells and blue crabs) and seaweed. The key objectives are to 1) establish efficient biorefinery processes for extracting ingredients (pre/postbiotics, vitamins, peptides, oligosaccharides, fats, emulsifiers, and digestibility enhancers); 2) develop innovative food and feed prototypes with improved nutritional and sensory properties; 3) ensure compliance with safety, sustainability, and regulatory standards, paving the way for future market uptake.To achieve these objectives, MARMADE will leverage advanced technologies, including Deep Eutectic Solvents (DESs), Supercritical CO2 extraction, dynamic high-pressure processing (e.g., microfluidization, high-pressure homogenization), wet milling, screw pressing, ultrasonication, and cavitation, to optimize extraction efficiency and maintain the purity of bio-based food and feed ingredients. Key ingredients will be validated through in vitro and in vivo testing, ensuring compliance with safety standards, while consumers’ and end-users’ insights will guide product design to ensure market acceptance, in a multiactor approach.MARMADE aligns with the RIA-05 topic addressing the need for sustainable, affordable bio-based food and feed ingredients. It supports the Circular Economy Action Plan and Zero Pollution Action Plan objectives by valorising marine resources and reducing reliance on petrochemical-based ingredients. The project contributes to the Farm to Fork Strategy by enhancing the nutritional profiles of food products and aligns with the EU Bioeconomy Strategy by fostering bio-based cascading extraction processes. Additionally, MARMADE promotes environmental sustainability by integrating the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD).