FUNGUSCHAIN

Valorisation of mushroom agrowastes to obtain high value products

Project details

Type of project: Innovation Action - Demonstration
Project focus: Food, feed & cosmetics
Feedstock origin: Agri-food waste
Feedstock type: Crop residues

Project period: 1 November 2016 - 30 April 2021
Status: Completed
CBE JU Contribution: € 5 700 547
Call identifier: H2020-BBI-PPP-2015-02

Summary

The FUNGUSCHAIN project aims to extract value from the agricultural offcuts of commercial mushroom farming. It seeks to process these offcuts into bio-based functional additives and biopolymers using a cascading approach to separate the valuable components into a spectrum of products. It also seeks to prove its industrial viability by building a new biorefinery and modifying industrial current manufacturing lines.

The bio-molecules and building blocks isolated from the mushroom wastes will be validated for industrial production in three value chains for the European economy, notably food supplements for the elderly, plastic products and industrial film products such as bags and gloves.

Demonstrate an integrated process of valorisation of agro-residues from mushroom industrial cultivation into bio-based functional additives and biopolymers
Demonstrate the industrial viability by building a new biorefinery and modifying industrial current lines

Boost innovation on agricultural waste management establishing circular economy business models.
Definition, demonstration, validation of at least 5 new types of products (food supplements, cleaning products, commercial masterbatches, commercial plasticizers and industrial films)
Improvement of environmental performance and cost efficiency of resulting products
Increase the capacity of industries and SMEs to contribute to innovative research in the field of valorisation of agricultural waste.

Funguschain project video introduction

FUNGUSCHAIN project turns mushroom cultivation residues into foods, cosmetics, and bioplastics
26 November 2020
Cultivating mushrooms produces a lot of waste. For every kilogram of mushrooms produced, about three kilograms of soil-like material containing straw, manure and peat is left behind. In the EU, this results in more than 3 billion kilograms of waste per year. Read more

New bio-based films for agriculture contribute to SDGs
29 June 2020
Waste from mushroom production can no longer be just waste; FUNGUSCHAIN is transforming it into bio-based and biodegradable films for agriculture. The films have no toxic effects and avoid the accumulation of non-biodegradable plastics in the soil, making an effective contribution to several of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Read more

Consortium map

Project coordination

BioDetection Systems B.V. Amsterdam, Netherlands

Consortium

NOVAMONT SPA Novara, Italy
UNIVERSIDAD DE ALICANTE Alicante, Spain
TECNARO GESELLSCHAFT ZUR INDUSTRIELLEN ANWENDUNG NACHWACHSENDER ROHSTOFFE MBH Ilsfeld, Germany
KUNGLIGA TEKNISKA HOEGSKOLAN Stockholm, Sweden
MONAGHAN MUSHROOMS IRELAND Monaghan, Ireland
FUNDACION AITIIP Zaragoza, Spain
BIOTREND-INOVACAO E ENGENHARIA EM BIOTECNOLOGIA SA Cantanhede, Portugal
Condensia Quimica SA Barcelona, Spain
TOTALENERGIES CORBION BV Gorinchem, Netherlands
SAPONIA KEMIJSKA, PREHRAMBENA I FARMACEUTSKA INDUSTRIJA DD Osijek, Croatia
BIOZOON GMBH Bremerhaven, Germany
NEEM BIOTECH LTD ABERTILLERY, United Kingdom
NORMEC OWS GENT, Belgium
MI-PLAST DOO ZA PROIZVODNJU, TRGOVINU I PRUZANJE USLUGA Rijeka, Croatia
CENTRO EUROPEO PER I POLIMERI NANOSTRUTTURATI SCARL Florence, Italy