GO BIODIF’ project begins with the participation of ICTAN researchers

The project ‘Biofunctionalisation of strategic national crops to improve their competitiveness in the market’ aims to biofunctionalise three strategic national crops used as food matrices – tomato, maize and olive for the production of table olives and oil – with essential micro/macroelements through the application of nanotechnology (nanofertilisers).

It initiates the BIODIF Operational Group in which researchers from the Institute of Food Science and Technology and Nutrition (ICTAN-CSIC) participate: Juana Frías, director of the centre and CSIC coordinator, and Begoña de Ancos, Graciela Blanch, Cristina Martínez-Villaluenga and Elena Peñas as the research team.

This project seeks the biofunctionalisation with essential micro/macroelements of three strategic national crops used as food matrices: tomato, maize and olive for the production of table olives and oil, through the application of nanotechnology (nanofertilisers).

Project objectives

• To select the most interesting nutrients and bioactive compounds from a nutritional and health point of view and to establish their analysis methodology.
• To characterise the impact of biofunctionalisation on the agronomic, organoleptic and nutritional properties of commercial and traditional varieties of tomato, maize and olive in different environments.
• Assess the feasibility of nutritional and health claims/labelling on crops of interest and certification(s) of Good Practices of Circular Economy (BPEC)/Sustainable Agriculture.
• To analyse the implications for the management of agri-food companies of the incorporation of biofunctionalised foods into the market.

The BIODIF Operational Group is made up of 8 entities that participate in different categories to achieve the development of the project and is present, through its components, in 8 Spanish provinces.

Communication ICTAN-CSIC