MEDACORNET - Rescuing acorns as a Mediterranean traditional superfood

Europe is facing a large-scale food crisis due to supply chain disruption and, thus, prices escalation, owing to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the prices measured rose 22.8% in May from a year earlier. In particular, cereals price has seen the highest growth, surging 56.2% from May 2021, with wheat leading the rise. The UN warns of the possibility of the food crisis lasting for years. Environmentally, food systems represent up to 37% of human-induced GHG emissions. The major contributions come from soil mobilisation, fertilisers, pesticides, irrigation and food chains. In 2018, the European Union (EU) imported 102 k ton of gluten-free cereal grains, pulses, and oilseeds [12]. While cereal crops production generates about 200 kg of CO2 eq/ton, the wild forests producing nuts are actually responsible for carbon fixation in their wood and in the soil. The most prevailing are oak forests, representing about 30% of the Mediterranean basin area. Despite being a historically used and rich traditional Mediterranean superfood, the utilization of acorn in our diets is currently facing hurdles and further investigation on acorn aiming at its rescue as a healthy Mediterranean cuisine ingredient urges for the following reasons: 1) its nutritive value varies depending on Quercus species, production systems, and climatic and geographic variables; 2) Q. rotundifolia is the only oak species currently certified as traditional food; 3) tannin composition and content varies depending on Quercus species, production systems, and climatic and geographic variables, which ultimately affect its nutritive value.

The MEDACORNET will support the adherence to Mediterranean diet through the development of new acorn-based products, and digital solutions to connect stakeholders of the value chain, and creation of awareness among the general population which will foster a new value chain for a range of novel healthy food products. So, it will contribute to providing more possibilities of products for general consumers, as well as for celiac people and people who have gluten-related disorders (e.g. wheat allergy, and non-celiac gluten sensitivity). Improving the adherence by celiac, vegans/vegetarians, green, health-conscious consumers to the Mediterranean diet can help provide them important nutrients without the significant risk of undesired weight gain that can lead to overweight or obesity. This can be achieved through the introduction of innovative gluten-free ingredients or products, such as acorn and acorn-based food. Moreover, the consumer habits, namely health and ecological concerns, imply the need for deeper knowledge on the food, the benefits of its bioactive compounds, and the environmental and carbon footprint of the value chain. Furthermore, testing and enhancing acorn transformation by-products (e.g. tannins, lignin, oils, biomass) for other industrial sectors (p.e. nutraceuticals, biomedical) will also enhance the sustainable development of living oak ecosystems, while preserving the Mediterranean typical landscape. Additionally, food sovereignty is a critical socio-economic threat nowadays. Thus, fostering short Forest-to-Fork value chains, providing the regional markets with local food ingredients supply is a keystone solution.

MEDACORNET will enhance the adherence of consumers to the Mediterranean diet, through the development of new products based on acorn, as a Mediterranean traditional superfood, by connecting the different stakeholders of the acorn value chain. To do so, the consortium has defined ten (10) key performance indicators (KPIs): 1) Five (5) new food products with enhanced shelf-life, quality and health-related beneficial and sustainable properties; 2) Five (5) (three (3) physical and two (2) digital) raising awareness campaigns promoting a food environment conducive to healthy food choices through appropriate incentives and information provision to consumers and policymakers; 3) At least 15 Mediterranean companies/restaurants/bakeries testing acorn ingredients/food products; 4) Six (6) business models for quality and sustainability adapted to SME and smallholders operating in the acorn value; chain; 5) One (1) white paper on dietary guidelines and promotion strategies for the adoption of acorn as ingredient for Mediterranean healthy and sustainable diets; 6) Three (3) reports on the Mediterranean basin acorn distribution, value chain and stakeholders mapping and current and potential socioeconomic and environmental impacts of establishing an acorn value chain in the Mediterranean basin; 7) One (1) study on the prevalence of diet- and non-diet-related non-communicable diseases in the Mediterranean countries, by sex and country, where the adoption of an acorn-based diet could play a role on disease management; 8) One (1) digital marketplace connecting acorn value chain stakeholders; 9) Five hundred (500) new users registered in the digital marketplace; 10) At least ten (10) published articles in international peer-reviewed journals, in the fields of acorn distribution/value chain, acorn processing, product formulation, product packaging/storage.