Bodega Sommos participates in a circular economy project to enhance animal feed using grape pomace
Bodega Sommos collaborates with the University of Zaragoza and the company Bugcle Bioindustrias in research aimed at utilizing grape pomace to improve the nutritional value of tenebrio molitor, an insect used in animal feed. The project, which runs until November, is funded by the University of Zaragoza and involves participation from the Agro-food Research and Technology Center of Aragon (CITA).
The project aims to validate whether grape pomace, a natural waste product left after pressing the fruit, enhances the nutritional profile of tenebrio molitor, commonly known as the ‘mealworm’. This insect is commonly used in the preparation of fish feed.
Diego Mur, Marketing Director at Sommos, explains that the winery has provided the pomace that it usually discards at the end of the harvest for use in experimental compounds. The pomace contains remnants of skin, pulp, stems, and seeds.
The pomace will be mixed with dehydrated yeast and carrot, allowing researchers to assess the impact of this feed formulation on the insect larvae, from which oils and flours are obtained.
Montserrat Martínez, the principal investigator of the project, notes that there will also be an analysis of the potential for by-products derived from tenebrio molitor to be used for human consumption, given their antioxidant capacity and favorable lipid profile.
The project involves several stakeholders in the sector:
- Faculty of Health and Sports Sciences at the University of Zaragoza: leads the research
- Bugcle Bioindustrias: responsible for the breeding, feed design, and transformation of the insect into flours and oils
- JustBug: in charge of providing insect breeding services
- CITA: members of the Agro-food Research and Technology Center of Aragon participate in the initiative
