In collaboration with two companies from the Spanish biotechnology and food sector, Innofood has launched the CARMENTA Project entitled “New strategies for technological innovation aimed at the health and well-being of children and women”. This project aims to develop new food products based on natural ingredients, which can help to prevent and relieve certain symptoms related to different stages and hormonal processes of a woman’s life, as well as prevent possible problems in children’s health during their first few months.
On the one hand, the development of products with natural ingredients attribute towards potential activity on symptoms that are manifested throughout the different stages of life that women experience: puberty, pregnancy, breastfeeding and menopause. In each of them, the woman needs basic essential nutrients according to the physiological changes of each period, to avoid deficient states that cause a greater vulnerability to the development of diseases and organic imbalance. On the other hand, children, in which nutrition is not only aimed at ensuring adequate growth and development from within the uterus but also to avoid nutritional deficiencies or imbalance that can lead to diseases, especially in their early months.
The consortium, located in Granada, is coordinated by Biosearch, SA, a company specialised in the research, development and commercialisation of new products based on natural ingredients with beneficial effects for health,. The consortium is also formed by two other entities: Innofood, a technology based company, which works in research, development and innovation services for products and/ or processes for a multitude of companies in the agri-food sector and Penalva Alimentación, SA (Helados Nordwik), a company with more than 40 years of experience in the manufacture of ice cream and cold and semi-confectionery products, who also lead in the ice cream sector in Andalusia.
This initiative, will last for two and a half years; it is funded by the CDTI (Centre for Industrial Technological Development) and has the support from the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and co-financing of the Structural Funds of the European Union (ERDF). The project also includes important institutions, research and technological development organisations such as the University of Granada, the Miguel Hernández University of Elche, the Centre for Research and Development of Functional Food (CIDAF) and the Foundation for Bio Sanitary Research in Eastern Andalusia ( FIBAO). In addition, it is supported by the Food for Life Spain technology platform.
.