According to the International Olive Council, an estimate of 3.1 million metric tonnes of olive oil was produced during the season of 2021/22, up 2.9% from the year before. This translates to a massive quantity of by-products left behind, which comes with certain disposal challenges because of its fat and salt content. Fortunately, new technologies have emerged to upcycle the solid residue: modern separation, milling and sieving techniques facilitate the upcycling into distinct end products.
Managing Director
BioPowder
The trend towards healthy and sustainable nutrition has also changed the demands and priorities of the feed industry. Conscious consumers are equally conscious about the food habits of their beloved pets; dairy and meat consumers take a closer look at the food chain of cows, chickens, fish, and other farm animals. Important criteria for feed additives are mainly
– Vegan (and/or free of any animal-derived components)
– Grain-free (i.e., free of gluten and possible allergens)
– Carbon footprint (derived from by-products instead of crops)
BioPowder’s mission has been to provide a fibre solution with excellent nutritive properties while ensuring maximum environmental sustainability. The company has developed a line of fine powder additives that tick many boxes, both in terms of sustainability and composition.
THE OLIVE – A VERY VERSATILE FRUIT
Olive (oil) by-products have been gaining wider attention of late, in particular the olive pit. It is a side stream from the olive oil mill or the preparation of stoneless olives, such as pickled or canned. Besides, the peel of the olive is often overlooked as a source of valuable compounds.
Olive oil manufacturing involves compressing the whole olive, which produces a solid residue of pulp, peel, and fragmented pits. According to the International Olive Council1, an estimate of 3.1 million metric tonnes of olive oil was produced during the season of 2021/22, up 2.9% from the year before. This translates to a massive quantity of by-products left behind, which comes with certain disposal challenges because of its fat and salt content. Fortunately, new technologies have emerged to upcycle the solid residue: modern separation, milling and sieving techniques facilitate the upcycling into distinct end products.
INNOVATIVE FEED POWDERS AS PROTEIN AND FIBRE SOURCES
Feed and pet food manufacturers have successfully formulated unique, nutritious recipes with BioPowder products, and top choices of ingredients include Grade AA olive stone powder, pulverized whole olive stones, and olive peel flour.
BioPowder’s most versatile food and feed ingredient is made of olive stones. In other words, the crushed olive pits that are separated from pulp and shell at the olive oil mill. While still in a wet state, the pits come out extremely clean, free of fatty residues and dust. From this raw material, the company manufactures its Grade AA olive stone powder, which is a homogeneous light beige powder with a neutral smell and taste. It is characterized by a high fibre and a low fat and protein content.
Recommended applications include:
– Vegan, grain-free flour as a source of energy and dietary fibre
– Thickener, bulking agent, or carrier for flavours and pigments
– Soluble fibre, e.g., for extruded feed items
At first sight, the pulverized whole olive stones look similar to the AA grade olive stone powder. However, this product originates from the production of stoneless olives. It contains not only the ligno-cellulosic crushed stone, but also the olive seed and residues of dry pulp. Its nutritional profile is an excellent combination of fibre, proteins, and bioactive compounds. The flour contains a significant amount of olive seeds, which are a rich source of antioxidants and vitamins. And its consistency is pasty, yet dry and well dispersible.
An ingredient that stands out for its high content of maslinic acid and polyunsaturated fats, the olive peel flour is a truly multifunctional product, particularly indicated as a plant-based alternative to fishmeal. In addition and similar to olive leaves, it has been a proven raw material for extraction processes and concentrate manufacturing.
Regulatory Framework:
Olive stone powder is derived exclusively from the edible olive – a recognized staple food. It is further regulated according to:
– GMP+
Olive stone flour is registered and approved according to GMP+
– REACH legislation
Olive stone flour is exempt according to Annex 5 (recently Annex 2), point 8
ECOLOGY AND CARBON FOOTPRINT:
A CRUCIAL STEP AHEAD WITH BY-PRODUCTS
BioPowder’s strategy focuses solely on the transformation of by-products. Side-streams of the olive that would otherwise be burnt or recycled are now upcycled. In contrast to crops, no water, land use or chemicals are involved in the process. Everything occurs locally as an integral part of the olive ecosystem with a zero-waste outcome. In fact, the olive stone consists of approximately 45-50% bio-carbon.
1International Olive Council, The World of Olive Oil, 13 Jan 2022
About Kathrin Schilling
Kathrin Schilling is a serial entrepreneur and specialist in waste-to-value business models. After 15 years in solid biofuels manufacturing, she created a new business line of powder additives from renewable sources. This involves innovative functional fillers, texture particles and matting agents for bio-based coating applications. Schilling has participated in numerous R&D initiatives, e.g. at Fraunhofer IVV, U.S. Department of Agriculture, KTH Royal Institute of Technology and University of North Dakota.
