Projects
The HIDROPEP project, part of the 2023 Strategic R&D Projects call from the Government of Navarra (CHALLENGE 4: ALPES IV – Personalized and Sustainable Nutrition), continues to make significant progress in the field of food innovation.
Recently, the second monitoring visit by the Government of Navarra technicians took place at the NAGRIFOOD headquarters to review the progress of the HIDROPEP Strategic Project. The consortium, led by Grupo AN, also includes Alimentos Sanygran, Monbake, El Caserío de Tafalla, the National Center for Food Technology and Safety (CNTA), the University of Navarra (UNAV), and the Navarra Agri-food Cluster (NAGRIFOOD), as well as NUCAPS.
In the initial phases, Grupo AN conducted field studies that identified significant differences between varieties and sowing times, providing key information to define more efficient agronomic strategies. Work is also underway to improve food formulations, such as plant-based burgers.
Alimentos Sanygran has developed pea protein-based ingredients, applied in both plant-based and meat burgers. The resulting products, treated in modified atmosphere, have shown good texture, protein quality, and sensory acceptance, confirming their viability as a sustainable alternative.
NUCAPS, meanwhile, has validated the use of pea and fava bean protein concentrates as encapsulation systems for functional ingredients. More than a dozen formulations with bioactives, probiotics, and flavors have been developed, resulting in stable and versatile prototypes suitable for beverages and candies.
In this area, El Caserío de Tafalla has finalized a formulation for functional candies with natural extracts, successfully passing stability and taste tests and demonstrating optimal preservation under controlled conditions.
The National Center for Food Technology and Safety (CNTA) has worked on obtaining microbiologically safe protein isolates and concentrates for consumption, evaluating their performance in baking. The concentrates received high sensory ratings. Additionally, an oat-based drink with probiotics encapsulated in pea and fava bean protein has been developed, validating its stability after heat treatment, and sourdoughs rich in gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)—a neurotransmitter that may help reduce stress and anxiety levels—have been generated.
MONBAKE has conducted laboratory tests with these ingredients, identifying sensory profiles that could be improved, guiding new lines of work to optimize product flavor.
At the University of Navarra (UNAV), snacks have been developed using fava bean and pea protein concentrates, observing differences in their functional and sensory properties. The studies have shown positive effects on metabolic parameters, reinforcing the potential of these ingredients for functional food development.
Finally, NAGRIFOOD has advanced in finalizing the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) report, contributing to project coordination and consolidating the project’s visual identity with the design of the official logo.
The HIDROPEP project represents a strong step toward healthier, more sustainable food adapted to the current needs of society.