On 16 July 2026, the partners of the FoWRSaP project met online for the consortium’s 2nd Annual Meeting. The meeting provided an opportunity to review the progress achieved across the project, present recent research results and coordinate the activities planned for the next implementation period.
The programme covered the main scientific and technological areas of FoWRSaP, including the classification and extraction of natural compounds from agri-food by-products, the development of active bio-based packaging, biosensors for food safety and quality assessment, emerging food-processing technologies, and the commercial, socioeconomic and environmental dimensions of the proposed solutions.
Representing Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Dr Evangelos Kokkinomagoulos presented the progress of Work Package 2 – Classification of Agri-food Waste and Extraction of Natural Target Compounds, which is led by AUTH.
The presentation highlighted the work carried out by the AgrofoodRnD team on the valorisation of olive-derived by-products, including olive pomace, olive stones, olive leaves, olive mill wastewater and olive-pruning residues. The research covers the complete valorisation pathway, from raw-material classification and pre-treatment to green extraction, chemical characterisation, encapsulation and initial applications in bioactive and chitosan-based packaging materials.
Particular emphasis was placed on the use of deep eutectic and natural deep eutectic solvents, ultrasound-assisted extraction, the recovery of phenolic compounds such as oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol, and the development of extracts, nanoparticles and reinforced films with potential applications in active food packaging.
The meeting strengthened collaboration among the project partners and supported the alignment of research priorities for the next phase of FoWRSaP.
FoWRSaP – “Agro Food Waste Recovery: new processing technologies for food Safety and Packaging” – is implemented under the PRIMA Programme and co-funded by the European Union.
