Optimisation of extraction and drying parameters for fungal food supplements
(15.1. 2024 – 15.1. 2025)
The project of two partners, MycoMedica d.o.o. and TurboEnergetika d.o.o., was selected for funding as one of 9 out of 58 projects submitted to the HIGHFIVE initiative call for proposals. The selection of the project speaks of the great potential and importance of the topic in the food processing industry and the use of sensory measurements for the optimisation and digitalisation of its processes.
The project with the acronym OEDFS represents a project of interdisciplinary integration and collaboration to use, consolidate and introduce digital twin technology in the sector of processing of medicinal fungi for food supplements, by introducing a new system of sensors and automation and digitisation of extraction and drying processes in the company MycoMedica d.o.o.. The main development objective of the OEDFS project is to optimise the extraction and drying process for the production of food supplements from medicinal fungi.
Dietary supplements made from medicinal fungi are gaining increasing importance in strengthening the immune system, antiviral and antibacterial activity and, more recently, as treatments for neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and multiple sclerosis. How these products are produced and how many medicinal compounds they contain is very important. The aim of the project is to optimise the extraction of the medicinal compounds and improve the products, while at the same time improving production traceability, reducing energy and time consumption and, last but not least, lowering production costs.
#Innovation #AgriFoodTech #DigitalTransformation #Sustainability #EuropeanAgriFood #HIGHFIVEProject #EUFunded #DigitalTwin #agrifoodinnovation #foodindustry #twintransition #sustainabiliy #mycomedica #turboenergetika
This project has received funding under the European Union’s I3 programme under grant agreement 101083989.
Innovative drying system for the treatment and processing of fungi and their extracts
Duration: april 2022 – september 2023
Project value: 104.100,00 EUR
Amount of co-financing: EUR 75.940,00
Description
The subject of the project is the purchase and implementation of an innovative drying system for the treatment and processing of fungi and their extracts, comprising four main production units: the drying chamber and its connection to the cooling-heating unit with central control system (HGARS), the connection of the lyophiliser to the HGARS, the connection of the conical extraction dryer to the HGARS, and the heating-cooling-vacuum points (GHVT).
The purpose of and objectives
The project aims to modernise and improve the material, energy and time efficiency of our production in an ecological, environmentally friendly way. The innovative drying system will allow the production process to be optimised in terms of time, money, energy and space. A multi-step production process will be set up, where raw fungi enter as initial ingredients and are gradually processed by individual processes in each unit of the system into a final product ready for human use.
“The investment is part of the actions of the Recovery and Resilience Facility-funded plan.”
www.noo.gov.si, www.evropskasredstva.si
eRECYn project – Sustainable production of standardised food supplements from the fungus Hericium
(01.11.2022 – 30.11.2024)
The project will develop a food supplement from the medicinal fungus Hericium erinaceus in an innovative formulation, which will be the first in the world to have a standardised and declared content of the main neuroprotective active ingredient, erinacin A. The final product will be developed and marketed as a raw material for food supplements and as a finished product. It is a high quality food supplement produced from 100% ECO ingredients. The main objective of the project is to develop a completely new product that will represent a major innovation in the natural food supplement market.
The new, innovative process, which will be fully optimised during the R&D activities of the project, will make full use of the active substances that are abundant in the extraction residues, while reducing the amount of waste itself. At the same time, the production process itself will be optimised to the extent that it will be extremely energy efficient, using waste heat from existing production processes instead of electricity during the production process. These innovative approaches in production will contribute significantly to the transition to a circular economy, including climate change mitigation, and thus achieve a high degree of technological neutrality.
The innovative R&D project will carry out a series of R&D activities to fully optimise the production process. We will introduce completely new technological processes into the production process itself, which will be necessary for the efficient use of extraction residues from existing production as raw material for the production of extracts of active substances. These processes are not yet known in the industry of dietary supplements from medicinal fungi and have not yet been introduced into standard process procedures, and will therefore represent a global innovation in this field. The project will enable the development of a completely new product for which the production processes will need to be optimised at laboratory, pilot and industrial level.
The total value of the project is EUR 539,164, co-financed by EUR 299,981.
“The investment is part of the actions of the Slovenian plan financed by the Recovery and Resilience Facility”
Link: noo .gov.si
Digital transformation of MycoMedica d.o.o.
Within the framework of the public call for proposals “Incentives for the digital transformation of SMEs” (P4D ReactEU), launched by the Public Fund of the Republic of Slovenia for Entrepreneurship, MycoMedica d.o.o. successfully obtained funding for the co-financing of the operation “Digital transformation of MycoMedica d.o.o.”.
PURPOSE:
is to stimulate the growth and development of the supported enterprises and to tackle the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic by investing in the use of digital business in their supply and/or sales chains, increasing management capacity, introducing digital business models, making investments for the purpose of digital transformation in the production and operations of the supported enterprises, increasing the value added per employee and preserving jobs in the supported enterprises.
OBJECTIVES:
Total project value: €166,665.55
Amount of co-financing: EUR 99.999,33
Link: http://www.eu-skladi.si/
“Co-financed by the Republic of Slovenia and the European Union from the European Regional Development Fund”
ErinacinA project – First food supplement standardised to erinacin A (9.7.2020 – 8.7.2022)
The aim of the project is to develop a dietary supplement from the medicinal fungus Hericium, which will be the first on the world market to have a standardised and declared content of the key pharmacologically active active ingredient in the fungus – erinicin A. This is a bioactive ingredient of purely natural origin, which has been shown to act as a stimulator of nerve growth factor secretion, and which scientific studies have attributed to it a great potential in the treatment of modern neurodegenerative diseases. The product will be marketed as a raw material to food supplement manufacturers and as a finished product to end-users.
The final product will be developed and marketed as a raw material for food supplements and as a finished product. It is a high quality food supplement made from 100% organic raw materials, free from allergens and suitable for vegans. The product represents a global innovation in the field of dietary supplements from medicinal fungi, as there are currently no products from this fungus available on the market with a precise and declared erinacin A content.
The project is run in partnership between MycoMedica d.o.o. and PharmaHemp d.o.o. The investment is co-financed by the Republic of Slovenia and the European Union from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
For those who want not just quick fixes, but lasting balance.
For those who understand that health is not a goal, but a way of life.
For those who are not just looking for a nutritional supplement, but a companion on the road to wellness.
Because sometimes the smallest things make the biggest changes.
A 5% discount is waiting for you when you make your first purchase – as a small thank you for your trust.
Find out more about medicinal mushroom supplements, cultivation and products for pets.
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For those who want not just quick fixes, but a lasting balance. For those who understand that health is not a goal, but a way of life. Those who are not just looking for a dietary supplement, but a companion on the road to wellness. Because sometimes the smallest things make the biggest changes. A 5% discount awaits you on your first purchase – as a small thank you for your trust.
