Advanced ecological solutions to increase the food safety of vegetables and fruits, from producer to consumer
PN-IV-P7-7.1-PTE-2024-0607 (57PTE/2025)
In the context of increasing concerns about public health and environmental sustainability, research into ecological solutions to improve the food safety of fruits and vegetables is a focal point of contemporary scientific activities. Although the inclusion of fresh produce in the daily diet is crucial for maintaining a balanced and healthy diet, this practice can be accompanied by risks such as exposure to pesticide residues, pathogenic bacteria and other forms of contamination.
Project goal
The project “Advanced ecological solutions for increasing food safety of vegetables and fruits, from producer to consumer – SIGUR“, aims to make a significant contribution to the development of an innovative and ecological solution for washing fruits and vegetables, which ensures the effective removal of harmful contaminants, without compromising food quality or safety.
Contracting authority: Executive Unit for Financing Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation (UEFISCDI)
Implementation period: 02/06/2025-31/05/2027
Project total budget: 1.884.538 lei
Budget for the partner ICECHIM: 375.000 lei
Project responsible: Dr. Eng. Irina Elena Chican
Project coordinator: HOFIGAL EXPORT-IMPORT S.A.,
Project director: Dr. eng. Daniela IONESCU
Partner 2: University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest
Project responsible: Prof. Univ. Dr. Alina Ruxandra Eugenia ORTAN
The project aims to provide a complete solution, the first at national level, to be implemented on a large scale and to contribute to improving public health and protecting the environment. SIGUR project focuses on the transfer of a technology that represents an ecological method of synthesizing natural surfactants, and conditioning them with phytocompounds with high antimicrobial potential, into an ecological solution designed to safely remove dirt, microbial load, pesticides and wax from fresh fruits and vegetables, without altering their taste and properties, thus providing a sustainable solution for increasing food and nutritional safety.
- (a) Documentation of the large-scale transfer of the validated laboratory technology (regarding the synthesis of natural surfactants, obtaining an acetic solution by valorizing plant waste rich in polysaccharides and separating/purifying phytocompounds with potential antimicrobial action from plant waste);
- (b) Identification of possibilities for optimizing the proposed technology (from a functional, operational and energetic point of view) by aligning it with the latest scientific discoveries in the field to ensure the success of the transfer;
- (c) Transfer and optimization in the industrial environment of the proposed technology;
- (d) Validation of the technology “in house” and through third parties;
- (e) Demonstration of the efficiency of the technology implemented in the industrial environment.
Preliminary activities for technology validation at industrial level.
Implementation period: 02.06.2025-31.12.2025
Activities for the partner ICECHIM:
- Study and analysis of the possibilities of optimizing the process of obtaining natural surfactants, at the laboratory level;
- Scientific substantiation and designation of the performance characteristics of the final product;
- Synthesis and primary characterization of surfactants;
- Optimization of the synthesis of natural surfactants – Part I;
- Results and project dissemination.
Implementation of the proposed technology at industrial level.
Implementation period: 01.01.2026-31.12.2026
Activities for the partner ICECHIM:
- Optimization of the synthesis of natural surfactants – Part II;
- Development of initial reference for the proposed technology;
- Development of a feasibility study for the proposed technology;
- Experimental study on the functional model regarding the optimization of technological parameters; optimization of the final product formulation;
- Start of activities to demonstrate the functionality of the proposed solution;
- Implementation of the proposed technology in the pilot plant;
- Demonstration of the efficiency of the technology implemented in the industrial environment through in-house and third-party studies – Part I;
- Results and project dissemination.
Validation of the proposed technology at industrial level.
Implementation period: 01.01.2027-31.05.2027
Activities for the partner ICECHIM:
- Development of final technical specification for the integrated technology demonstrated at industrial level;
- Protection of the solution through patenting;
- Results and project dissemination.
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