RESFOOD · RESOURCE EFFICIENT AND SAFE FOOD PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING

RESFOOD adresses on the most important topics in the food chain food towards resource efficient and safe food production and processing, leading to maximised resource productivity and recycling and re-use of valuable materials by research and demonstration of the proposed green solutions: Increased output with reduced input.Many natural resources (e.g. minerals, water, soil, biomass, land and fuels (energy) are used to grow and process food products, but in many cases their usage is highly inefficient, due to the lack of technological solutions and knowledge in combination with uncertainties about health and safety issues. Another important challenge in the food chain management is the large amount of wasted food. RESFOOD will overcome the main bottlenecks and barriers leading to an Resource Efficient Food Chain by:• Developing innovative technologies for re-use of Nutrients, Energy, Water and Biomass, reducing input, maximizing resource productivity and minimizing waste• Develop new methods for improving the disinfection processes for vegetables ensuring appropriate monitoring of health and safety risks.• Validate the solutions in five on site pilot demonstrations, also including Life Cycle AssessmentIn the RESFOOD resource efficiency concept the focus is a cascade approach: Look first for the most efficient solutions with the lowest effort, like direct re-use of warm and cold water (and energy) nutrients and biomass, followed by more complex solutions like withdrawal of useful products and energy from the water and the recovery of high valuable components from food waste (biomass).This will lead to 30 to 75 % reduction of water, energy and nutrients use, 25 to 80 % less emissions to surface- and ground water, 20-30 % reduction of the use of fertilizer products and overall 20 to 30 % more crop per resource input, combined with better controlling and reducing food health and safety risks.