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Unlocking the health potential of agrifood by-products
In partnership with AgriFutures Australia, CSIRO has explored how by-products from Australia’s agriculture and food production could be used to make health-boosting ingredients.
The ‘Bioactives from Australian agrifood by products’ report presents opportunities for agriculture and food industries to supply bioactives to the complementary medicines industry. Bioactives are natural substances found in food or plants that can have a positive effect on health.
Extracting bioactives from agricultural and food by-products is a new and developing industry with few commercial examples in Australia. Despite a large global complementary medicine industry and appetite for Australian made ingredients, there is a lack of awareness around the economic feasibility and potential in Australia, which is holding back industry growth.
Agrifood by-products present high-value opportunities to supply complementary medicines
CSIRO has undertaken a data-led approach to quantify high-value bioactives within Australian agrifood by-products to supply the complementary medicines industry.
The report identified 30 preliminary opportunities by examining supply value, technical maturity and level of Australian investment. From these, five prospective opportunities were identified that could unlock untapped potential from areas of currently low Australian investment.
- Polyphenols from sugarcane trash, bagasse and molasses
- Collagen from chicken trimmings, bones and offal
- Polyphenols from canola meal
- Polyphenols from olive pomace
- Polyphenols from barley via spent brewers grain.
Growing a new Australian industry
By working together, farmers and food producers can turn by-products into valuable ingredients for the Australian and international complementary medicines manufacturing industries by extracting and isolating high value bioactive compounds. This opportunity could benefit two established industries, while creating new value chains.
The report recommends a structured stage gate approach to validate the commercial feasibility of these prospective opportunities prior to investment. In order to grow this new industry, commercial considerations around supply volumes, quality and price are crucial. Additionally, success depends on innovative business models, cross-sector collaboration, meeting regulations and the ability to scale operations effectively.
Download the report
- Bioactives from Australian agrifood by-products PDF (3 MB)
- Bioactives from Australian agrifood by-products TXT (129 KB) (accessible version)
- Bioactives from Australian agrifood by-products Executive summary PDF (859 KB)
- Bioactives from Australian agrifood by-products Exectuive summary TXT (6 KB) (accessible version)
Unlocking the health potential of agrifood by-products
In partnership with AgriFutures Australia, CSIRO has explored how by-products from Australia’s agriculture and food production could be used to make health-boosting ingredients.
The ‘Bioactives from Australian agrifood by products’ report presents opportunities for agriculture and food industries to supply bioactives to the complementary medicines industry. Bioactives are natural substances found in food or plants that can have a positive effect on health.
Extracting bioactives from agricultural and food by-products is a new and developing industry with few commercial examples in Australia. Despite a large global complementary medicine industry and appetite for Australian made ingredients, there is a lack of awareness around the economic feasibility and potential in Australia, which is holding back industry growth.
Agrifood by-products present high-value opportunities to supply complementary medicines
CSIRO has undertaken a data-led approach to quantify high-value bioactives within Australian agrifood by-products to supply the complementary medicines industry.
The report identified 30 preliminary opportunities by examining supply value, technical maturity and level of Australian investment. From these, five prospective opportunities were identified that could unlock untapped potential from areas of currently low Australian investment.
- Polyphenols from sugarcane trash, bagasse and molasses
- Collagen from chicken trimmings, bones and offal
- Polyphenols from canola meal
- Polyphenols from olive pomace
- Polyphenols from barley via spent brewers grain.
Growing a new Australian industry
By working together, farmers and food producers can turn by-products into valuable ingredients for the Australian and international complementary medicines manufacturing industries by extracting and isolating high value bioactive compounds. This opportunity could benefit two established industries, while creating new value chains.
The report recommends a structured stage gate approach to validate the commercial feasibility of these prospective opportunities prior to investment. In order to grow this new industry, commercial considerations around supply volumes, quality and price are crucial. Additionally, success depends on innovative business models, cross-sector collaboration, meeting regulations and the ability to scale operations effectively.