The winners of the “Innovation Award – Mediterranean Diet” were announced on the last day of the 10th Mediterranean Diet Fair, with the distinction and delivery of three prizes and honorable mentions to the projects and products of the agri-food sector, represented in this edition of the event.
Considered one of the highlights of the 10th Mediterranean Diet Fair, this initiative was born from a partnership between the Algarve Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR), the Caixa de Crédito Agrícola Mútuo (CCAM) of the Sotavento Algarvio, the In Loco Association and the Municipality of Tavira, aiming to promote innovation among the projects and producers present at the Fair.
First of all, the “HostLab Project”, organized by the School of Management, Hospitality and Tourism of the University of Algarve (UAlg), which presented three innovative products, based on ingredients endogenous to the region: olive oil spread, goat cheese cream and carob semifreddo.
In second place on the podium, the “Dreche crackers”, presented to the competition by “Nova Vida Cerveja”.
Dreches are a residue from the beer manufacturing process, which is reused in crackers and combined with typical Algarve products. “They represent an innovative solution for managing a product that is often considered waste,” highlights CCDR Algarve.
Finally, third place was awarded to the project “Taste of the South (Pecoliva)”, which consists of innovating processes in olive oil production.
Equipment (grains) was implemented, which allows the storage of waste (olive oil and olive pomace), to be later collected by companies in the waste treatment and recovery sector, “without harming the surrounding environment and a benefit for the olive oil production process, which no longer requires momentary stops”.
Two honorable mentions were also awarded to “churritas"and "Algarve barbecue sausages”, submitted to competition by Revitalgarve project, financed by the Recovery and Resilience Program (RRP).
The awards were presented by the presidents of CCDR Algarve, José Apolinário, and of the Board of Directors of CCAM do Sotavento Algarvio, Manuel Lacasta de Jesus, by the vice-president of Tavira City Council, Eurico Palma, and by the secretary of the Board of Directors of In Loco, Nelson Domingues.
This project has the main objective of creating an organizational model for a Territorial Food System in the Algarve, based on a Network of Local Producers of the Algarve (RPLA) and the consumption of products originating from the RPLA.
This is where work to promote and enhance the value of the Algarve Churra sheep breed, an indigenous breed with an extensive farming system, comes into play.
The evaluation included criteria such as the degree of innovation, economic viability, market needs and environmental and social sustainability, analyzed by a jury created specifically for this purpose.
During the event, the public also had the opportunity to give their opinion, which was valued at 30% of the final classification of the products and projects in the competition.
At the awards ceremony, the promoters expressed their intention to continue holding the “Innovation Award – Mediterranean Diet” in future editions of the event, stating their satisfaction with the success of the partnership, achieved through the presentation of new products and projects associated with the Mediterranean Diet, the participation of exhibitors in the competition and the participation of the public in voting on the applications.
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