OXICOOK, a project aimed at reducing waste of sliced cooked meat products displayed on the shelf

• An innovative pilot project carried out by an Operational Group that addresses a very visible issue on retail shelves: the discoloration of sliced cooked meat products.
• Research on formulation, packaging, and lighting to ensure shelf life without compromising quality or sustainability.

Food waste does not always begin when a product expires. It often starts much earlier, on the retail shelves, when a product suitable for consumption is removed because it “doesn’t look good enough.” In the case of packaged sliced cooked meat products, colour is a decisive factor: even slight discoloration may be enough for consumers to reject it, generating economic, food, and environmental losses.

OXICOOK is born from this starting point, an innovative pilot project currently under development that aims to understand — and minimize — the causes that lead to colour loss in sliced cooked meat products during distribution and commercial display.

A complex issue that goes beyond the product itself

The discoloration of cooked meat products is not caused by a single factor. It is the result of a combination of elements that interact throughout the entire value chain: from product formulation and the manufacturing process, to the packaging system, the presence of residual oxygen inside the pack, the type of material used, the gas-to-product ratio, the cold chain, and, finally, the lighting used at points of sale, which is currently based on LED systems.

OXICOOK builds on scientific knowledge with a comprehensive approach to address this complexity. The project analyses how light and oxygen interact with the pigment responsible for the characteristic pink color of cooked meat products, and how small imbalances can accelerate photo‑oxidation processes that damage the product’s appearance and lead to its rejection.

Current status of the project

Currently, the OXICOOK innovative pilot project is immersed in its development phase, focused on:

• Studying the critical parameters during packaging that influence color stability throughout commercial shelf life under simulated retail conditions.
• Assessing combined strategies involving formulation (ingredients with antioxidant potential and bioprotective cultures), packaging (materials, parameters, and technologies), and shelf‑display conditions to improve the stability of packaged products.
• Generating applicable and scalable knowledge for the meat and packaging industries.

All this work is carried out without losing sight of a key objective: reducing food waste without compromising the shelf life or the organoleptic properties of sliced cooked meat products.

Results achieved so far

Results obtained to date confirm that discolouration in sliced cooked meat products is caused by the combination of residual oxygen and light on retail shelves, particularly visible LED light. As opaque packaging, although an effective solution, is not accepted in the local market, the project has identified alternative strategies such as reducing residual oxygen through more effective vacuum sealing, optimising slice positioning and the gas-product ratio, and developing packaging materials with specific filters for visible light. In parallel, solutions based on oxygen scavengers and ingredients capable of stabilising colour are being assessed, with the aim of reducing waste without affecting consumer acceptance of the product.

A strategic alliance across the entire value chain

One of OXICOOK’s greatest strengths is its collaborative nature. The project is driven by a multisectoral consortium that brings together producers of cooked meat products, manufacturers of packaging materials and machinery, retail companies, research centres, and sector‑specific organisations.

The Operational Group carrying out this innovative pilot project is led by CARINSA and coordinated by the Packaging Cluster, and includes the participation of La Selva, Monells, and NOEL as beneficiary members; Enplater, TPL, Kao Chimigraf, ULMA, Bonpreu Esclat, and Ametller Origen as non‑beneficiary members; as well as the involvement of IRTA as a research centre; and the collaboration of MULTIVAC, FECIC, and Hispack in dissemination and communication activities.

This shared vision makes it possible to address the challenge of food waste from every possible angle, generating solutions with real impact and strong potential for replication in other products and sectors.

The innovative pilot project is co‑funded by the European Union, as it forms part of an Operational Group under the European Innovation Partnership for Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability (EIP‑AGRI), through grants promoted by the Department of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries of the Government of Catalonia.

Towards more robust products and a more efficient distribution chain: OXICOOK moves forward with the ambition of contributing to a more efficient, sustainable, and responsible food system, where technological innovation and industrial collaboration help reduce avoidable losses and improve resource use.

Action of the CAP 2023–2027 Strategic Plan co‑funded by:

SMOKE UP Operational Group – Strategies for improving the safety and sustainability of smoked ready-to-eat products

The SMOKE UP Operational Group, part of the European Association for Innovation in Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability (AEI-Agri) funded by the European Union, aims to provide smoked ready-to-eat product manufacturers with the necessary strategies for enhancing safety and sustainability.

The consortium consists of Embotits Monells as the leader and beneficiary member, Angulas Aguinaga as a beneficiary member, and the Institute of Food and Agricultural Technology Research (IRTA) as the technological center and coordinator. Additionally, the non-beneficiary partner, Proveedora Hispano Holandesa, supports various activities.

Throughout the development of the planned activities, challenges include:

• Research, development, and implementation of alternative methods to traditional smoked manufacturing processes (salmon and bacon), with a clear focus on sustainability and food safety improvement.
• Improving manufacturing process efficiency to minimize associated costs, preserve natural resources, and reduce environmental impact by innovating more sustainable products and processes that ensure safer and healthier food for future generations.

Project co-financed by the EU through intervention 7161 of the PEPAC 2023-2027

• With the participation of the companies CARINSA, La Selva, Monells, NOEL, Enplater, TPL, Kao Chimigraf, ULMA, Bon Preu Esclat, Casa Ametller, IRTA, MULTIVAC, Hispack, FECIC and Packaging Cluster
• The project will reduce to the maximum the food waste of meat products, thereby providing greater efficiency of resources and a reduction of waste.

In the context of the alarming data provided by the United Nations Conference on Climate Change of 2023 (COP28), according to them, 40% of the food products end up as waste, representing between 8 and 10% of all greenhouse gas emissions that will be lost by 2030 or waste 2,100 million tons of food, the OXICOOK project aims to combat today.

The main objective of the OXICOOK project, an operating group of the European Association for Innovation in Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability (AEI-Agri) financed by the European Union, is to study different strategies to minimize the waste of meat products packaged in a protective atmosphere during their commercial shelf life.

To achieve this objective, we have proposed, first of all, to diagnose the current starting situation of the meat products sold on the sales shelves, that is, the study of the products of interest in the project in the European market (MINTEL) and the interaction between the characteristics of the shelves and the quality of the products. Second, identify and quantify the critical parameters of processes related to the colour stability of the products sold during their shelf life, consisting of the packaging process, the packaging process and distribution and in the sale on the shelves. Next, process strategies will be developed to minimize product discoloration, both through formulation and product packaging.

Next, it is intended to implement at the industrial pilot level the best combination of process strategies, of each of the products that are studied in the project. Finally, it is planned to disseminate the results and the transfer to the sector, to raise awareness in the industry and promote scalability and replicability.

As far as possible, a multi-sector consortium has been generated involving different actors who form part, in one way, of the value chain of the agri-food industry, both Carinsa and the leaders of the operating group La Selva, Monells and NOEL with other beneficiary members, producers and packers of the agricultural industry. On the other hand, actors in the value chain of the Packaging sector, with Enplater, TPL, Kao Chimigraf, ULMA and Multivac, accompanied by collaborative technological research with the Institute of Agroalimentary Research and Technologies, IRTA. I am with the recovery of Bon Preu Esclat and Casa Ametller with a supermarket and retail establishments respectively and associative entities and business groups, with the Packaging Cluster, with a coordinator, with Hispack and FECIC with communication support entities.

The innovative pilot project, which is planned to last 2 years, will allow the development of more robust meat products through the combination of strategies that include the formulation of the product, the selection and adaptation of materials and the packaging parameters that allow guaranteeing the stability of the colour during the It is commercialized, once it is determined who impacts the new LED lighting systems that the distribution has adopted and to minimize its effect to avoid the mispricing of the products displayed. All of this, without affecting food safety, shelf life and sensory characteristics, thanks to the addition of cultish bio protectors and/or ingredients with antioxidant potential.

The synergies established in this project, along with the comprehensive approach considering all the aspects that lead to food degradation, will contribute to the global success of microbiologically permissible product strategies and the reduction of food waste and the environmental impact that it entails.

Project co-financing by the European Union through intervention 7161 of the CAP Strategic Plan (PEPAC) 2023-2027

Try them! Maxi Ham, Maxi Turkey y Maxi Chicken.

Embutidos Monells works to combine quality, taste and innovation for all our range of products. This is the reason that for this year we present the following new products, which sure you will love.

• Pastrami, produced with beef meat and available in different formats: Pastrami whole piece, pastrami half pieces and sliced packs.
• My bacon, a bacon prepared without additives to enjoy all the taste, texture and smell of traditional bacon in a healthier way. Available in half pieces and sliced packs.
• Lacón excellence, a whole pork shoulder submitted to pasteurization and a natural smoked process with oak wood. This product is available in whole pieces and half pieces.
• Turkey excellence, a cooked & natural smoked turkey breast. To enjoy healthie diets. This product is available in whole pieces and half pieces.
• Turkey ham strips, good and ideal kitchen solution for very busy Housewives.
• Cooked & smoked ham strips, prepared with direct cooking is a good way to prepare dishes easily.

Products developed so you can choose your favourite flavour and to enjoy it in a healthy, tasty and natural way.