The project, technically coordinated by Maslina, is moving towards biotechnological solutions that transform agricultural by-products into sustainable probiotics for animal feed.
The national Olivebiome project, technically coordinated by the Cantabrian company Maslina, has taken a new decisive step in its development with the full incorporation of AINIA, a leading technology center in agri-food innovation. The organization is already working at full capacity on the technical trials that will allow the validation and scaling of the probiotic solutions designed in previous phases of the project.
The most recent advances focus on comparative crop analysis, spray testing, and studies on the granulometry of raw materials used as a prebiotic base. This work is essential to determine the most efficient production conditions and, consequently, to guarantee the industrial viability of Olivebiome’s future products.
Comparación de medios de cultivo: MRS y suero lácteo
In a first line of work, AINIA is carrying out parallel cultures using MRS medium and whey. The objective is to verify the differences in the growth curves of probiotic microorganisms and evaluate which of the two media offers a more optimal performance in terms of speed, stability and population density.
This comparison will allow us to identify the most suitable growing conditions to enhance the probiotic activity of the bacteria selected in previous phases of the project. Whey, being a by-product of the dairy industry, also offers an interesting avenue for circular economy by being integrated into waste valorization processes.
Atomization trials: co-culture behavior during drying
Another of the notable new developments is the first atomization test applied to a probiotic co-culture. This test seeks to evaluate the behavior of bacteria during the spray drying process, both in the presence and absence of a carrier.
Preliminary results indicate that co-cultivation maintains good performance, opening the door to future development of commercial products using this technique. Atomization is a key step, as it allows the functional properties of probiotics to be preserved and facilitates their incorporation into feed and other formats intended for animal nutrition.
Technical efficiency: the importance of particle size
A third set of results refers to the granulometry of the prebiotic raw materia AINIA has demonstrated that the grinding size has a decisive influence on the efficiency of the atomization process
When the ground raw material is used with a coarse particle size, the maximum concentration of raw material that can be used during fermentation and subsequently transferred to the atomization process is only 2% Sin embargo, al trabajar con una molienda de grano más fino, la concentración se podría incrementar de forma notable hasta llegar al 20%
This finding is especially relevant from a technical and economic point of view: working with low granulometry not only allows for greater concentration of the crop, but also reduces the necessary drying volume, which translates into lower production costs and greater industrial efficiency.
A benchmark project in applied biotechnology
These advances consolidate Olivebiome as a benchmark project in the application of biotechnology to the agri-food sector. With a multidisciplinary consortium involving leading companies and research centers, the initiative’s main objective is to develop natural prebiotics and probiotics from agricultural by-products, particularly from olive groves and other horticultural materials.
The ultimate goal is to improve the intestinal health of poultry and swine, thereby reducing dependence on antibiotics in livestock production. This approach responds to the priorities set by the European Green Deal and the Community strategy “From farm to fork”, which promote more sustainable, safe and environmentally friendly food production.
Maslina’s leadership and the role of partners
The project is technically coordinated by Maslina, a Cantabrian company with more than 15 years of experience in the transformation of plant by-products into bioactive extracts. Their role is key in coordinating the consortium and in transferring results towards solutions for real-world application in the livestock industry.
In addition to Maslina and AINIA, Olivebiome also includes the participation of San Miguel Arcángel S.A., Lucta S.A., the Fundación Andaluza de Biotecnología (FABT), the Instituto de la Grasa-CSIC, Microomics Systems S.L. and the Instituto de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria (IRTA). Each entity contributes its expertise in areas such as microbiology, animal nutrition, biotechnology, and waste valorization.
Next steps
With the current advances, Olivebiome is entering a crucial phase for the industrial validation of its developments. In the coming months, pilot-scale atomization trials will be intensified, cultivation conditions will be optimized, and the stability of probiotics in different formats will be evaluated.
The goal is to design functional products that can be integrated into the feeding of farm animals, thus contributing to a more efficient and sustainable livestock production in line with current social and environmental demands.
Olivebiome demonstrates that biotechnology applied to agricultural by-products is not only feasible, but can also become a transformative tool for the future of European livestock farming.