• An innovative pilot project carried out by an Operational Group that addresses a problem that is clearly visible on the shelves: the discoloration of sliced cooked meat products

• Research in formulation, packaging and lighting to guarantee commercial life without compromising quality or sustainability

Food waste does not always begin when a product expires. It often starts much earlier, on the sales shelves, when a food suitable for consumption is withdrawn because "it does not look good enough". In the case of packaged sliced cooked meat products, colour is a decisive factor: a slight discolouration may be enough for the consumer to reject it, generating economic, food and environmental losses.

With this starting point, OXICOOK was born, an innovative pilot project that has worked to understand —and minimize— the causes that cause the loss of color of sliced cooked meat products during their distribution and commercial display, and which has already been completed.

A complex problem that goes beyond the product

The project has shown that the discoloration of cooked meat products is not due to a single cause, but is the result of a combination of factors that interact throughout the entire value chain. The project has developed strategies to reduce this effect.

In the following report you can consult the phases into which the project has been divided, the main results and recommendations obtained as a result of the research and the collaboration between the members of the consortium.

A strategic alliance of the entire value chain

One of the great values of OXICOOK has been its collaborative nature. The project has been promoted by a multisectoral consortium, made up of companies producing cooked meat products, manufacturers of packaging materials and machinery, commercial distribution companies, research centres and sectoral entities, to address the challenge of food waste from different perspectives.

The Operational Group that has carried out this innovative pilot project was led by CARINSA, which, as a result of the research, has developed PAYMOX®, an antioxidant technological aroma that contributes to preserving the color stability of cooked meat products.

It has been coordinated by the Packaging Cluster, and has had the participation of La Selva, Monells i NOEL, Enplater, TPL, Kao Chimigraf, ULMA, Bonpreu Esclat and Ametller Origen; as well as the participation of IRTA as a research center; and with the collaboration of MULTIVAC, FECIC and Hispack.

The innovative pilot project is co-funded by the European Union, as it is an operational group of the European Association for Innovation in Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability (AEI-Agri), subsidies promoted by the Department of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of the Generalitat de Catalunya.

Towards more robust products and more efficient distribution: OXICOOK has contributed to a more efficient, sustainable and responsible food model, in which technological innovation and industrial collaboration make it possible to reduce avoidable losses and improve the use of resources.