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Innovation

Innovation
Our Commitment

To create better food for today and tomorrow, we look at the future with ambition and always make sure we place Innovation at the very heart of everything we do.
Innovation fuels us to evolve, grow and differentiate.
Innovation is Frulact´s most nurtured competitive and sustainable advantage.

We work Innovation all over the value chain, from field to consumer. We identify opportunities to improve not only products and processes but also the way we interact with our stakeholders.

We work to guarantee:


  • Efficiency


  • Expertise


  • Credibility

What inspires us?

Market

Frulact’s Market Intelligence monitors and analyses the market using tools from partners like Mintel, XTC, Euromonitor and PortugalFoods. Through this knowledge sharing we establish a unique market culture that contributes to innovations in Products and Processes, and also to generating Industry 4.0 insights.

Science & Technology

Frulact works closely with Academia, Research Institutes, Suppliers and other Commercial Partners. We work in close cooperation with our stakeholders to secure a constant flow of “new” knowledge into the Group. This continuous reinforcement of our competencies will make us lead, will ensure we are the first to adopt best practices and processes and will support the launch of the most interesting market innovations.

People

At Frulact we count on everyone to contribute with innovative thinking and ideas.

“FRUI9” is an idea management tool that accelerates Frulact’s collective creativity. It was developed by Frulact Team.

“Knowledge Clipping” is a management tool to organize and disseminate technical and market intelligence.

“Frulact Academy”is a project dedicated to the continuous training and development of our teams. Several events are organised to promote learning and knowledge sharing around strategic guidelines.

Funded Innovation Projects

  • Strawberry+

    Project co-sponsored by

    Project Code

    POCI-01-0247-FEDER-017821

    Strawberry+

    Main Goal

    The Strawberry+ project aims to (i) test novel approaches to optimize the quality and productivity of strawberry, with a main focus on fertilization and application of growth regulators; (ii) conduct a comparative analysis of a soil vs. hydroponic production system in terms of productivity, intrinsic quality, sensorial quality and microbiological load/ diseases incidence; (iii) optimize the yield and efficacy of the 1st transformation (fruit cut and disinfection); (iv) testing the maintenance of the integrity of novel fruit shapes to be used in the development of innovative products

    Description

    Strawberry (Fragaria ananassa Duch) is the preferred fruit in the fruit processing industry, representing over 40% of the total fruit volume purchased by Frulact. The adequacy of the strawberry fruit and its quality for the fruit processing industry must be worked out from the field to the final product. Considering the high competitiveness in the Agrofood industry, this sector has to be constantly working towards the expectations of an increasingly demanding consumer in terms of reducing additives? supplementation, reducing environmental impact and eager to experience innovative products. As such, it is fundamental to understand if it is possible to increase the intrinsic quality of the fresh material, diminish contamination during production and post-harvest, and concomitantly developing innovative products. The main objective of this project is to increase the suitability of strawberry for technological processing (targeting at an industrial premium strawberry: with higher firmness, brix, better color, lower microbial load and with fewer chemical residues) and to reduce the post-harvest losses. As specific goals, we aim to: (i) test novel approaches to optimize the quality and productivity of strawberry, with a main focus on fertilization and application of growth regulators; (ii) conduct a comparative analysis of a soil vs. hydroponic production system in terms of productivity, intrinsic quality, sensorial quality and microbiological load/ diseases incidence; (iii) optimize the yield and efficacy of the 1st transformation (fruit cut and disinfection); (iv) testing the maintenance of the integrity of novel fruit shapes to be used in the development of innovative products. The consortium team members have a vast experience in coordinating and participating in research projects in this field (both at national and international level), having previous successful collaborations

    Intervention Region

    Norte

    Frulact´s partners

    UNIVERSIDADE DO PORTO || UNIVERSIDADE CATÓLICA PORTUGUESA ||

    Project Approval: 2016-08-30
    Start date: 01-12- 2016
    End date: 31/08/2020
    Total Eligible Investiment: 435 358,06€
    European Union financial support: 287.709,68€

  • cLabel+

    Project co-sponsored by

    Project Code

    POCI-01-0247-FEDER-046080

    cLabel+

    Main Goal

    The cLabel+ project: Natural, nutritious and consumer-oriented foods, innovative "clean label" foods, aims to develop processes and products that are understood by the consumer as consistent with products using natural ingredients, with limited use of additives, and that provide the expected experience through its physical, chemical and nutritional properties, while maintaining food safety.

    Description

    The cLabel+ project: Natural, nutritious and consumer-oriented foods, innovative "clean label" foods, is a technological research and development project focused on responding to the challenges facing the food industry, with a focus on the emerging “clean label” concept, as one of the major current trends in the sector, given by the growing number of consumers who are increasingly aware and eager for information, looking for alternative, more transparent and natural food products. The cLabel+ project is promoted by a consortium led by the company Sumol+Compal Marcas SA and constituted by a set of 20 entities: 8 companies with diverse and complementary areas of activity and 12 non-business entities of the R&I system with a strong experience in development of projects in the scientific areas of the project. Taking advantage of the existing skills mobilized in the consortium, cLabel+ will promote the development of new processes, products and services that guarantee greater differentiation and responsiveness in an increasingly competitive market. The cLabel+ project includes 5 complementary partial projects (PPS) that are part of the achievement of the global objective: • Nutritional improvement of products through macronutrients and processing conditions; • Innovative and “clean label” solutions for reducing sugar and modulating the sweetening power in foods; • "Clean label" stabilization and preservation of sauces, meat products and pastries; • New methodologies of integration and consumer response optimization; • Project management, diffusion, and valorization of the results.

    Intervention Region

    Norte, Centro, Lisboa, Alentejo

    Frulact´s partners

    SUMOL+COMPAL MARCAS, S.A. || PORTUGALFOODS || ASSOCIAÇÃO INTEGRALAR || INTERVENÇÃO DE EXCELÊNCIA NO SECTOR AGRO-ALIMENTAR || UM - UNIVERSIDADE DO MINHO || INIAV - INSTITUTO NACIONAL DE INVESTIGAÇÃO AGRÁRIA E VETERINÁRIA, I.P. || ISA - INSTITUTO SUPERIOR DE AGRONOMIA || INL - LABORATÓRIO IBÉRICO INTERNACIONAL DE NANOTECNOLOGIA (LIN) || UNIVERSIDADE DE AVEIRO || SENSE TEST - SOCIEDADE DE ESTUDOS DE ANÁLISE SENSORIAL A PRODUTOS ALIMENTARES LDA || MENDES GONÇALVES, S.A. || UNIVERSIDADE DE COIMBRA || WEDOTECH - COMPANHIA DE IDEIAS E DE TECNOLOGIAS LDA || VIEIRA DE CASTRO PRODUTOS ALIMENTARES, S.A. || REQUIMTE - REDE DE QUIMICA E DE TECNOLOGIA – ASSOCIAÇÃO || UTAD - UNIVERSIDADE DE TRAS OS MONTES E ALTO DOURO || UNIVERSIDADE DO PORTO || FRULACT - INDÚSTRIA AGRO-ALIMENTAR, S.A. || UNIVERSIDADE CATÓLICA PORTUGUESA || UNIVERSIDADE NOVA DE LISBOA || PRIMOR CHARCUTARIA - PRIMA, S.A. || SPI - SOCIEDADE PORTUGUESA DE INOVAÇÃO - CONSULTADORIA EMPRESARIAL E FOMENTO DA INOVAÇÃO S.A.

    Project Approval: 2020-11-23
    Start date: 2020-06-01
    End date: 2023-05-31
    Total Eligible Investiment: 4.641.020,43 €
    European Union financial support: 3.106.642,43 €

  • MOBFOOD

    Project co-sponsored by

    Project Code

    POCI-01-0247-FEDER-024524 • LISBOA-01-0247-FEDER-024524

    MOBFOOD

    Main Goal

    MOBFOOD: Mobilizing scientific and technological knowledge in response to the challenges of the agri-food market. MOBFOOD project aims to respond the challenges related to the promotion of a more competitive national food industry. It will promote new growth strategies based on the enhancement of technological capacity, innovation and R&D aimed at obtaining new products, services, processes or technologies, acting along the entire value chain and reinforcing collaboration between the business and not business sectors.  

    Description

    The food sector is intended to be sustainable, fully integrated, interconnected, transparent, resilient, secure, resource efficient and consumer focused. The aim is to achieve these objectives through the implementation of solutions in three main pillars: “Food Security and Sustainability”, “Food for Health and Well-being” and “Food Safety and Quality”, materializing in research and development of new processes, products or services. To know more please visit project's site https://mobfood.pt/

    Intervention Region

    North; Center; Lisbon; Alentejo

    Frulact´s partners

    Primor Charcutaria – Prima, S.A. || Fábrica de Conservas “A Poveira”, S.A. || BLC3 Evolution, Lda. || Cerealis Produtos Alimentares S.A. || FoodinTech Lda. || ICM – Indústrias de Carnes do Minho, S.A. || T.S. – Indústria Transformadora de Subprodutos S.A. || Olano Logistica de Frio, Lda. || Sense Test – Sociedade de Estudos de Análise Sensorial a Produtos Alimentares, Lda. || Univeg Logistics Portugal – Logística e Transportes S.A. || Vizelpas – Comércio de Artigos Plásticos, Lda. || CIIMAR – Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental || Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto || Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge, I.P. || Instituto Politécnico de Leiria || Instituto Politécnico de Viseu || Instituto Superior de Agronomia || Pólo de Inovação em Engenharia de Polímeros || Universidade de Aveiro || Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica || NOVA Medical School - Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Universidade Nova de Lisboa || Universidade do Minho || Fromageries Bel Portugal || Matadouro Central de Entre Douro e Minho S.A. || Decorgel – Produtos Alimentares S.A. || INOVA+ – Innovation Services, S.A. || Mendes Gonçalves, S.A. || Sebol – Comércio e Indústria de Sebo S.A. || Sonae Center Serviços II, S.A. || Vitacress Portugal, S.A. || CATAA – Associação Centro de Apoio Tecnológico Agroalimentar || Universidade Católica Portuguesa || Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto || Instituto Politécnico de Bragança || Instituto Politécnico de Castelo Branco || Instituto Politécnico de Santarém || Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo || Instituto Superior Técnico || INTEGRALAR – Intervenção de Excelência no sector Agro-Alimentar || Universidade de Coimbra || Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa || Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro ||

    Project Approval: 2017-07-24
    Start date: 2017-12-01
    End date: 2021-09-30
    Total Eligible Investiment: 7.021.739,21€
    European Union financial support: 4.547.393,15€

  • PlantFood

    Project co-sponsored by

    Project Code

    POCI-01-0247-FEDER-034036

    PlantFood

    Main Goal

    Development of non-dairy foods and beverages

    Description

    The project "PLANTFOODS - Development of non-dairy foods and beverages" has as its main objective the research, development and production of fermented and non-fermented non-dairy plant bases (PLANTFOODS bases), using cereals as sources of raw materials, that will be enriched with the incorporation of legumes and/or oleaginous fruits. This combination aims to obtain formulations with added value in terms of well-balanced nutritional composition, wide physical and microbiological stability, high organoleptic quality and validated biological functionality, contributing as a key ingredient enabling the development and offer of new products that promote health and well-being. These solutions aim to reach consumers which are looking for alternative products of plant origin, aligned with the current trend of flexitarianism and/or physiological intolerance demands.

    Intervention Region

    North

    Frulact´s partners

    Universidade Católica Portuguesa

    Project Approval: 2018-05-15
    Start date: 2018-05-20
    End date: 2021-11-19
    Total Eligible Investiment: 500.364,27 €
    European Union financial support: 302.865,07 €

  • NanoBioSensor

    Project co-sponsored by

    Project Code

    POCI-01-0247-FEDER-033925

    NanoBioSensor

    Main Goal

    To develop analytical tools that will help overcome limitations of the current analytical methods for microbiological quality control in the food industry.

    Description

    The main objective of the project is the development of analytical tools that will enable a more robust control of the microbiological quality of fruit preparations during processing, storage and transport. These new solutions should reduce response times and ensure equal or greater sensitivity when compared to conventional methods. Two different devices will be designed and produced combining the latest developments in molecular biology, electronics and nano and micro technology. These sensors will provide data related to microbiological growth, allowing real-time use friendly traceability of containers during shelf-life.

    Intervention Region

    North and Center

    Frulact´s partners

    International Iberian Nanotecnhnology Laboratory Exatronic

    Project Approval: 2018-04-18
    Start date: 2018-07-01
    End date: 2021-12-31
    Total Eligible Investiment: 922.561,35 €
    European Union financial support: 626.356,29 €
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