Developed under the Pep4Fish project, the unit produces bromelain, an enzyme extracted from pineapple waste. When used to produce protein hydrolysates, it helps improve the digestibility, health and growth of farmed European seabass and gilthead seabream. Its anti-inflammatory, digestive and antioxidant properties also open the door to applications in other industries, such as pharmaceuticals, food and cosmetics.

Pineapple was not chosen at random. It is one of the fruits richest in bromelain, which is concentrated precisely in the parts that are usually discarded, such as the peel and the core. This very waste is what gave rise to AgroGrIN Tech: the company was born from the need to find a sustainable solution for the large quantities of waste that a Portuguese company generated every day, with no useful end.

“The implementation of this pilot line is an important milestone in developing a sustainable process for valorising agro-industrial waste, with a positive impact on both the environment and the company’s competitiveness,” says Débora Campos, CEO and founder of AgroGrIN Tech.

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AND DIGESTIVE PROPERTIES

Within Pep4Fish, bromelain is used to produce protein hydrolysates for fish feed, helping to improve the digestibility, health and growth of seabass and seabream. “Bromelain has anti-inflammatory and digestive properties that improve nutrient absorption and fish health, with significant benefits for aquaculture,” explains Débora Campos.

The unit has an annual production capacity of 50 kilograms of enzymatic extracts, obtained from processing more than 250 tonnes of pineapple waste. In addition to bromelain, the process generates by-products such as gluten-free flours and natural additives, in a zero-waste model where all raw material is valorised. “We are investing in innovation and sustainability, with the aim of strengthening AgroGrIN Tech’s competitiveness both nationally and globally,” adds Débora Campos.

The Pep4Fish project is led by Grupo ETSA and brings together nine partners, including research centres and companies: AgroGrIN Tech, B2E CoLAB (Collaborative Laboratory for the Blue Bioeconomy), CIIMAR (Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research), ITS – Indústria Transformadora de Subprodutos (ETSA), Seaculture (Jerónimo Martins), Savinor and Sorgal (Soja Portugal), Sebol (ETSA), and the Escola Superior de Biotecnologia of Universidade Católica Portuguesa.

The Blue Bioeconomy Pact, which includes Pep4Fish, is one of the Mobilising Agendas for Business Innovation under Portugal’s Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR).

O Pacto da Bioeconomia Azul, no qual está incluído o Pep4Fish, constitui uma das agendas mobilizadoras para a Inovação Empresarial, previstas do Plano de Recuperação e Resiliência (PRR).