Imagine turning what was once considered waste into a goldmine of valuable products. That’s precisely the mission of OLEAF4VALUE, a European project funded by the BBI-JU and H2020 which kickstarted on June 1st, 2021, and it’s coming to an end on June 30th, 2024. Its goal? To transform olive leaves, often left unused after harvesting olives, into a range of high-quality bioactive products with enormous market potential.
Since its beginning in July 2021, OLEAF4VALUE has brought together a powerful consortium of 16 experts from across Europe. Together, they have worked hard to transform the way we think about olive leaves! Here’s a glimpse into the project’s journey so far:
The project’s journey
First things first: locating the best olive leaves. Researchers scoured olive farms, analyzing leaves in labs and fields to understand their unique qualities. What they found was fascinating: each leaf’s potential varied depending on factors like the type of tree and how it was harvested and stored. Once they had their leaves, the partners set out to work. They developed smart biorefinery systems that could turn olive leaves into all sorts of valuable products. Imagine a high-tech factory that can churn out everything from health supplements to beauty products, all from humble olive leaves!
But it didn’t stop there. Using cutting-edge techniques, researchers started extracting special compounds from the leaves. These compounds are like the secret ingredients that make olive leaves so special. By carefully crafting them into different products, like skincare treatments and dietary supplements, they’re making sure nothing goes to waste. Of course, the goal is to get these products into the hands of consumers. So, the partners were hard at work in the past few months making sure their creations meet all the necessary standards and regulations. From testing their solubility to creating different formulations for cosmetics, they’re leaving no stone unturned.
As the project is soon coming to an end, the consortium is excited about the possibilities it brought and the new horizons it broadened for the valorization of olive leaves. They believe that olive leaves have the power to not only transform industries but also improve lives. If you wish to learn more about the projects work throughout the past 3 years, visit the website: https://oleaf4value.eu/
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