Overview of the Work Packages that makes up the Olive3P project.
The Olive 3P project is a dynamic collaboration structured into five distinct Work Packages (WPs), each playing a crucial role in advancing our mission.
Explore the details of each work package below to gain insights into the specific objectives, leaders, and participating organizations.
| WP N° | Work Package Title | Lead Partner | Participant | Start Month | End Month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | UCAM | USMS, GDAR-ORI, DUZEN | 1 | 30 | |
2 | DÜZEN | ESSAIA | 12 | 30 | |
3 | GDAR-ORI | ESSAIA, UCAM, USMS, DUZEN | 3 | 33 | |
4 | USMS | All partners | 6 | 33 | |
5 | ESSAIA | All partners | 1 | 36 |
This work package has been thoughtfully divided into the four following major tasks,
UCAM and GDAR-ORI will produce biochar with optimized porosity from olive waste samples through a carbonization and activation process. They will investigate the temperature, residence time, and heating rate to establish optimal conditions for the carbonization process. Physicochemical characterization of the raw matter will be performed before the pyrolysis process, and the resulting biochar will be stored for further use in the project.
UCAM, USMS, and GDAR-ORI will activate biochar to enhance its adsorbent property. They will test different ratios of biochar/chemical reagents, such as ZnCl2, KOH, and H3PO4. The mixtures will be stirred and dried, and for H3PO4 activation, biochar will be soaked in a solution of phosphoric acid and dried. The resulting activated carbon will be stored for further use in the project tests.
The filtration performance of activated biochar with different ratios will be evaluated in two glass columns in series under continuous mode of operation, and in a filtration/settling sequence in a reactor with intermittent mixing. The filters will be operated in down-flow mode by gravity at a constant filtration rate. Additionally, pre-filtration screening and presettling of the olive mill effluent will be investigated to determine the most efficient experimental conditions for polyphenol adsorption on raw/activated biochar, which will be transferred to semi-pilot scale for other project activities.
GDAR-ORI and DUZEN will recover polyphenols from biochar to create a liquid food preservative. Two methods will be used: 1) supercritical CO2 extraction with ethanol as co-solvent, and 2) conventional solid-liquid extraction techniques with different green solvents. Different solid: liquid ratios will be used to improve the polyphenol recovery yield. The resulting polyphenol-rich liquid fractions will be conditioned for use as a spray for the conservation of table olives in WP3.4.
To ensure that all objectives below are met efficiently and effectively.
Produce biochar from solid olive residues as biosorbent for polyphenols capture and as soil conditioner.
Generate activated biochar as efficient adsorbent of polyphenols with large surface area, high porosity, high cation exchange capacity, stability.
Remove & extract polyphenols from OMWW by adsorption on Biochar.
Produce a biopreservative from extraction of polyphenols contained in OMWW
This work package has been divided into two major tasks,
ESSAIA will cultivate Rhodotorula glutinis biomass on treated OMWW at lab-scale using an optimized two-phase culture strategy. Prior to cultivation, the treated OMWW will be sterilized using autoclave, and cheese whey will be tested as a low-cost nitrogen source to correct the OMWW nitrogen-deficiency. A mathematical experimental design will be used to optimize the culture conditions, including factors such as culture temperature, OMWW dilution, cheese whey proportion, oxygen dissolved, pH, and stirring rate. The two-phase culture strategy involves yeast precultures and stress conditions for carotenoids induction.
DUZEN will scale up the cultivation of Rhodotorula glutinis using a 30L-bioreactor and a two-stage culture strategy based on the optimal conditions identified by ESSAIA at the lab scale. The optimized OMWW-cheese whey water proportion will be sterilized and used for yeast preculture before transferring to the 30L-bioreactor. During the cultivation process, various parameters such as stirring rate, temperature, OD, and pH will be monitored. Biomass concentration will be determined and harvested by a crossflow separator and subsequently dried and stored for further nutritional and health feature characterization.
To ensure that all objectives below are met efficiently and effectively.
Produce biochar from solid olive residues as biosorbent for polyphenols capture and as soil conditioner.
Generate activated biochar as efficient adsorbent of polyphenols with large surface area, high porosity, high cation exchange capacity, stability.
Remove & extract polyphenols from OMWW by adsorption on Biochar.
Produce a biopreservative from extraction of polyphenols contained in OMWW
This Work Package was divided into 5 major Tasks
UCAM and ESSAIA will perform physicochemical characterizations of raw and treated effluents, including measurements of conductivity, pH, DM, TOC, COD, TKN, and total polyphenols. USMS, UCAM, and GDAR-ORI will perform physicochemical and spectroscopic characterizations of raw biochar and activated carbon, including characterization of functional groups and use of techniques such as Raman spectroscopy, FTIR, XRD, and TGA. Olive oil mill wastewater will undergo several physicochemical characterizations after treatment.
GDAR-ORI will test the efficiency of recovered polyphenols as a table olives biopreservative through antimicrobial activity testing against various microorganisms. The inhibition zone diameters and minimum inhibitory/microbicidal concentrations will be determined. Conservation experiments will be performed on table olives with biocontrol agents, and changes in total phenol concentration, antioxidant activity, color, texture, and sensory evaluation will be monitored during storage.
In this task, ESSAIA will test the efficiency of biochar with residual polyphenols against Verticillium wilt on olive seedlings in vitro and in vivo. GDARORI will test biocontrol agents’ efficiency on sensitive and tolerant olive varieties against Verticillium dahliae. Cuttings will be rooted in perlite and transplanted into pots with soil, sand, and farm manure. The pathogen will be applied one week after the biochar application, and the % disease severity values will be calculated.
UCAM will investigate the innocuity/safety of biocontrol agents by performing germination index and genotoxicity tests. Cress seeds will be used to assess the effects of different concentrations of biopreservatives, biopesticides, and treated effluents. The genotoxicity effect will be assessed using the micronucleus test on Vicia faba seeds after liquid or solid exposure. The mitotic index and micronucleus frequencies will be expressed as percentages.
In this task, ESSAIA will evaluate the food/nutritional composition and health value of Rhodotorula glutinis biomasses. The protein, lipid, carbohydrate, carotenoid, mineral, monosaccharide, fatty acid, and vitamin content will be determined. The in vitro bioactivity, including antioxidant, antidiabetic, and antimicrobial activities, will be evaluated using different methods. The hypoglycemic activity will be assessed through the α-amylase inhibition activity, while the antimicrobial activity will be evaluated through the inhibition zone diameter and minimum inhibitory and minimum bactericidal concentrations against various bacteria and fungi.
In order to meet efficiently and effectively all the objectives below
Efficiency of biocontrol agent as biopesticide against Verticillium wilt on olive seedling.
Efficiency of desorbed polyphenols as biopreservatives to improve table olive storage.
Minimum inhibitory/bactericidal concentration of desorbed polyphenols determination.
Nutritional & health value of yeasts biomass.
This work package has been divided into four major tasks,
ESSAIA and USMS will conduct a survey methodology through quantitative and qualitative interviews with different actors of the olive oil sector in Algeria and Morocco. The survey aims to analyze the growth potential and socio-economic challenges, evolution and characteristics of the food system, existing olive oil production systems, and identification of current and sustainable practices and their resilience to changes and crises, including drought and water shortages. The focus will be on cultivation practices of olive growers, resource management practices of olive oil producers, and waste management practices.
GDAR-ORI will perform mass and energy balance analyses on various components of the concept, including biochar/activated carbon production, removal of polyphenols from olive effluent, yeast cultivation and harvest, addition of polyphenol-loaded biochar in soil, application of polyphenol-based bioconservative for olive preservation, and the food system of olive oil production. The results will be based on experimental data obtained by all partners, and a case study will be conducted in Turkey to evaluate the sub-system related to olive mill wastewater valorization. Prior to the analyses, an estimation of existing waste in this area will be carried out.
In this task, each partner will provide information on key indicators to monitor environmental issues, and GDAR-ORI will compile Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) data based on the mass and energy balance from Task 4.2 and a reference scenario reflecting current regional practices of the olive oil sector from Task 4.1. USMS will perform the assessment of environmental impacts using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology, with a focus on the valorization roots of the final products: a biopreservative, soil conditioner, and edible yeast. The concept will be compared to a case of an olive mill unit operating in three phases.
This task involves using a Food Systems Approach to analyze the socioeconomic drivers of the evolution of the olive oil sector in the regions of Algiers, Algeria (ESSAIA) and Khénifra, Morocco (USMS). Surveys will be conducted with actors involved in each stage of olive oil production, and information will be collected to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The analysis will evaluate the coordination of actors, economic parameters, and pathways for valorization of products. The potential impact of transitioning to new sustainable practices and implementing components of the innovative food system described in the project will also be evaluated.
so that all objectives below are met efficiently and effectively.
Overview of current & sustainable practices in the food system of olive oil production and their resilience, including production, processing, and distribution stages.
Evaluation of the socio-economic feasibility of the innovative food system and its components within the olive oil sector.
Evaluation of environmental impacts of the innovative food system and its components in comparison to a reference scenario reflecting current practices.
This work package has been divided into three tasks,
In this task, USMS will monitor the production and use of IPRs throughout the project and identify key IPRs and their ownership and protection levels. The Innovation manager will participate in project meetings and document IPR-related decisions in the Dissemination plan. A Data Management Plan will be developed and updated yearly to establish guidelines for handling and reporting data among partners. Additionally, USMS will support partners in defining their individual plans for the exploitation of the components developed by them and encourage co-ownership of results.
The technical management of the project will adhere to the rules set by FOSC, SUSFOOD2, and National Funding Agencies. Technical monitoring activities will include project meeting minutes, task sheets of WPs, and WP-specific risk analyses. The Project Coordinator will lead project monitoring and reporting, with the support of the Technical Coordinator. Annual project meetings will be held at different partner institutions, and online meetings will be conducted in between.
The dissemination and exploitation measures for the project include the preparation of a dissemination plan and an exploitation plan, creating a project website and general dissemination package, clustering activities to investigate potential interactions and exchanges with other current projects, holding a final project workshop to present key project results to local stakeholders, implementing a staff exchange plan to promote national and international collaboration between partners, and updating these plans yearly. These measures are designed to ensure that the project’s results and innovations are disseminated to relevant stakeholders and utilized for the benefit of society.
To ensure that all objectives below are met efficiently and effectively.
Management of innovations and Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs).
Managing the project efficiently and taking care of administration and reporting.
Coordinating all activities of the project and ensuring their proper targeting as well as a good coordination within partnership.
Providing technical and scientific guidance at all stages in the project Ensuring compliance with data management standards, research ethics and gender equality issues in all project-related activities.
Disseminate and communicate about the project activities, outputs and outputs to all relevant stakeholders to boost the impact of the project and to aid in achieving all project objectives.
Check out the experiments results
The scientific results to be obtained will be published as soon as possible.
