List of participants

AZTI-TECNALIA

AZTI is a non-profit private foundation committed to the social and economical development of the marine environment and food sector. With 27 years of experience, the organisation has developed more than 2.000 projects with industries and public institutions, including 27 European projects running at present.
AZTI is part of Tecnalia Corporation (http://www.tecnalia.es) formed by 7 research institutions. AZTI has three buildings in the north of Spain in Bizkaia (Sukarrieta and Derio) and Gipuzkoa (Pasaia).

With a team of 200 professionals, and a turnover in 2007 of 17 M€, AZTI-Tecnalia as research and innovation centre is structured in two business divisions: Marine Research and Food Research, the last one aimed at improving the quality, productivity and innovation of food products and processes. The works carried out are for individual companies, for professional associations as well as for the administration.

The Food Research Division is formed by 74 people, researchers and technicians, distributed in four main areas of specialization and technological expertise:
• New Food Products
• Detection systems for Food Safety and Quality
• Novel Technologies
• Sustainability of the Food Chain
This is one of the focus areas in the research activities. The works in this field are aimed at the improvement of the environmental performance of the food industry, and the reduction of impacts of the whole food production chain. Environmental performance, economic viability and savings as well as social aspects (ergonomy, labor security, working age, etc..) are considered in the developed works. The main topics of expertise are: Cleaner production in food sector, eco-design of new foods, Life Cycle Assessment of food chains, best Environmental Practices in food industry, water and wastewater valorisation and treatment. Traceability is another important work area.

AZTI is the Basque contact point for the food chain, and is actively involved in different technological platforms:
o fish and aquaculture
o water
o food for life
o Environmental technologies

AZTI´s approach covers the cradle to grave concept, considering all the steps in the life cycle of food and drink products: agriculture, food manufacturing, transport, retail and distribution and households and food services.