The GO OLIVEBIOME project demonstrates the potential of olive grove waste as a sustainable resource

• Significant progress in the results of its second phase.
• The final results will serve as the basis for the development of innovative products aimed at healthier and more sustainable animal feed.

The national OLIVEBIOME project has begun its second phase with promising results in the development of biotechnological solutions applied to animal feed. After completing its first stage, the consortium has evaluated the prebiotic potential of seven agro-industrial byproducts—from the olive oil, table olive, wine, tomato, oat, and asparagus industries—traditionally considered low-value, but rich in fiber and functional compounds beneficial to the intestinal health of monogastric animals such as chickens and piglets.

During the first months of research, OLIVEBIOME has obtained significant scientific results focused on the chemical characterization of these byproducts, an essential step in determining their nutritional and prebiotic value. The analysis has provided detailed information on their fiber composition, protein and amino acid content, as well as their antioxidant capacity, with the aim of evaluating their potential as functional ingredients. According to project sources, these results will be published soon and will serve as the basis for the development of innovative products geared towards healthier and more sustainable animal feed.

Research focused on functional fiber

The first phase of OLIVEBIOME focused on analyzing the physicochemical properties of selected byproducts, with particular attention to their fiber composition . The total amount, the ratio between soluble and insoluble fractions, and the content of non-cellulosic sugars and uronic acids—key compounds for intestinal fermentation by beneficial bacteria—were studied.

This characterization has allowed the identification of fiber profiles with greater prebiotic potential. Residues with high solubility and a significant presence of fermentable sugars are emerging as optimal ingredients for promoting the growth of beneficial intestinal microorganisms, such as bacteria of the genus Lactobacillus . Furthermore, bacterial strains with fermentative potential have been isolated from olives, which will be incorporated into future combined formulations.

High fiber content in the selected and investigated by-products

The initial conclusions are clear: all the byproducts analyzed have a high fiber content, making them ideal candidates for exerting beneficial effects on the gut microbiome. The waste from the olive and olive oil industries stands out in particular, with a total fiber content exceeding 60%, which gives it significant prebiotic activity. The asparagus byproduct, for its part, has a high proportion of soluble fiber—key for its intestinal fermentation—while the oat byproduct shows a high content of non-cellulosic sugars in its insoluble fraction (more than 45%), suggesting a high fermentative capacity.

These findings lay the groundwork for this second phase of the project, in which the potential of these byproducts as a basis for generating a probiotic will be evaluated. Biotechnological scaling and in vivo tests will be carried out to validate their effects under real animal production conditions. The ultimate goal is to incorporate these solutions as functional additives, reducing antibiotic use and promoting more sustainable livestock farming.

OLIVEBIOME represents a new path of innovation, where waste is transformed into resources, and science works in service of a more balanced and resilient agri-food model.

About the OLIVEBIOME project

The OLIVEBIOME project falls within the framework of the Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan (CAPSP) 2023-2027, and is financed 80% by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) of the European Union and 20% by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA). The Directorate General for Rural Development, Innovation and Agri-food Training (DGDRIFA) is the authority responsible for implementing these funds.