Abstract
The process of extraction and refinement of cooking oil from seed crops and olives generates tons of by-products per year. The disposal of this material represents a high cost for industries, and more importantly, is associated to environmental pollution. However, this material represents a source of valuable compounds such as lecithin, tocopherols, and phytochemicals, which could be recovered and utilized for food, nutraceutical, and cosmetic purposes. The reuse of by-products is a strategy to increase the profitability of the oil production chain and reduce its environmental impact, thus complies with the principles of the Circular Economy. Recently, pomace derived from oil production have been used for the production of clay bricks and biogas, or as fertiliser in agriculture. During this project, by-products obtained from the production and refinement of sunflower and olive oils will be considered. Their physicochemical properties will be evaluated using a multi-analytical approach. A particular interest will be given to compounds like micro- and macronutrients, fibers, and secondary metabolites such as polyphenols. Sustainable procedures for their extraction will be developed, and, in collaboration with other research groups, their possible reutilization as ingredients for food and cosmetic products will be assessed by studying their nutritional, pharmacological and technological properties. Finally, the purified compounds will be used to develop novel food products and cosmetics in a small-scale.