Basque Enterprise Europe Network

Title

Starter cultures with technological and functional characteristics for improving the processing of table olives and other fermented vegetables

Reference

TOES20210609001

Last update

Tue, Jun, 22, 2021

Deadline

Wed, Jun, 22, 2022

Abstract

A Spanish company, specialist in the development of innovative starter cultures for the fermentation of table olives, is interested in improving the process and standardizing the product of agri-food companies dedicated to the production of table olives and other fermented vegetables through commercial agreement with technnical assistance, as well as, offering research and technical cooperation for the development of new products and technological solutions.

Description

A Spanish company that transfers knowledge and technology to companies in the agri-food sector, with a specific focus on the development of solutions for the sector of table olives, are pioneers in the development of starter cultures with lactic acid bacteria that have multifunctional characteristics. The SME is a highly innovative company that participates in R&D projects and contracts with other research centres and companies for the generation of new knowledge and products within the fermented vegetable sector.

Table olives are important products from olive trees, whose main production regions are located in the Mediterranean. With a high variety of table olive processing methods, fermented varieties are common, with the Spanish-style table olives (SSTO) among the world’s most consumed ones. Fermentation is beneficial for extending shelf-life and can also enhance nutritional properties in a safe and effective manner. Still, table olives producers need to improve the quality and safety of their products through a higher control and standardization of the fermentation, which would also result in the reduction of economic losses produced by fermentation failures.

Table olive fermentation is a complex process that involves lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeast that interact to obtain high quality products. Yeasts play a key role in the definition of the final organoleptic profiles through the production of volatile compounds and they promote the growth of LAB, which is responsible for the stabilization of the final product through the acidification activity and the inhibition of the growth of pathogenic bacteria.

The spontaneous fermentation of table olives is improved through the development of mixed starter cultures. The use of starter cultures for table olives fermentation provides a standard protocol to assure the product quality and to reduce harmful fermentation failures.

The fermentation of the black varieties is dominated by fermentative yeasts, Spanish style green table olives undergo lactic fermentation thanks to the lactic acid bacteria that dominate their brines.

This new generation of starter culture composed by three LAB strains and two yeast strains olive-native, with remarkable technological and functional properties, improves the table olives processing.

The SME is looking for companies processing table olives and other fermented vegetables, interested in improving their process and standardizing their product in order to achieve commercial agreements with technical assistance as well as technology cooperation agreements for the development of new products and processes.
The company is also open to cooperation with research centres and universities on international R&D projects.

Technology Keywords

Fermentation;Food Processing

Keyword Codes:

06006011;08001004

Current Stage of Development

Intellectual Property Rights

Secret Know-how

IPR Comments:

Exploitation of RTD Results

Organisation/Company Type

Organisation/Company Size

Organisation Comments

Detailed Market Application Codes (VEIC)

MA Keyword

Health food

MA Keyword Codes:

07003002

Application Domain Description:

Collaboration Type

Comments:

The company is interested in finding agri-food companies dedicated to the processing of table olives and fermented vegetables, interested in improving their process and standardizing their product.

At the same time, the SME offers advice to improve the quality of the fermentation process and the development of new products and technological solutions.

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