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Abstract(s)
Nesta dissertação aplicou-se a metodologia de Avaliação do Ciclo de Vida (ACV) e o método de Material Flow Cost Accounting (MFCA) para a caracterização do desempenho ambiental e económico de aditivos alimentares de origem natural identificados com um Technology Readiness Level (TRL) mais elevado, no contexto do Projeto Valor Natural. Este projeto visa mobilizar uma cadeia de valor assente no desenvolvimento de ingredientes naturais nas classes dos conservantes, corantes, aromas e bioativos, para utilização alternativa aos aditivos sintéticos. Com a aplicação da metodologia ACV pretendeu-se demonstrar os pontos críticos dos processos de produção destes aditivos naturais em termos de impactes ambientais. A metodologia MFCA foi aplicada de forma a avaliar e diminuir os custos associados à utilização de recursos reduzindo, simultaneamente, o impacte ambiental. Os corantes naturais identificados com maior potencial de aplicação foram os corantes derivados de Hibiscus sabdariffa L., Sambucus nigra L. e Gomphrena globosa L. No que respeita aos bioativos naturais foi selecionado o extrato enriquecido em micosteróis, nomeadamente o ergosterol, e o extrato enriquecido em vitamina D2. Uma vez que, o projeto se insere num TRL 2-3, não foi possível obter dados suficientes acerca dos corantes naturais, pelo que não foram efetuadas a estes corantes as análises propostas inicialmente. O estudo realizado para Avaliação do Ciclo de Vida abrangeu todas as etapas do ciclo de vida, desde o transporte de matéria-prima até à produção do extrato final. A unidade funcional foi definida como 1 g de substrato de origem vegetal convertido em aditivo alimentar. Para quantificar os impactes ambientais, foram utilizados os métodos ReCiPe Midpoint (H) – Europe (H) e CML (Institute of Environmental Sciences) baseline 2001, dos quais foram selecionadas oito categorias de impacte ambiental relevantes para o estudo de extratos naturais. Relativamente ao extrato enriquecido em micosteróis, constatou-se que nem todos os processos envolvidos nesta produção revelaram ter impacte significativo nas categorias selecionadas, pelo que após exploração das várias categorias, identificaram-se quais os processos mais impactantes em cada uma, e fez-se uma análise detalhada dos vários impactes dos processos em cada uma das categorias selecionadas. De um modo geral, a fase de liofilização e o transporte de matéria-prima são as etapas que mais contribuem para as categorias de impacte ambiental selecionadas. No processo de liofilização, os impactes devem-se maioritariamente à utilização de energia no processo, e no transporte da matéria-prima, os impactes estão principalmente associados ao consumo de combustível. Tal como nos extratos enriquecidos em micosteróis, verificou-se que nem todos os processos envolvidos na produção dos extratos enriquecidos em Vitamina D2 apresentavam relevância nas categorias de impacte selecionadas, pelo que foi feita uma análise similar à realizada no caso dos micosteróis. Genericamente, observou-se que o processo de liofilização e o transporte da matéria-prima são as etapas que mais contribuem para as categorias de impacte escolhidas para análise. Tal como no extrato enriquecido em micosteróis, os impactes associados ao processo de liofilização estão maioritariamente relacionados com a utilização de energia no processo e os impactes do transporte da matéria-prima são devidos ao consumo de combustível. Analisando ambos os extratos, observa-se que na maioria das categorias de impacte, o extrato enriquecido em Vitamina D2 tem mais impacte no meio ambiente do que o extrato enriquecido em micosteróis. Tal pode dever-se ao facto de no primeiro extrato haver mais processos associados à sua produção e também ao facto de para se obter 1 g de extrato enriquecido em Vitamina D2 entrar uma quantidade maior de matériaprima para o sistema.
In this dissertation the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and the Material Flow Cost Accounting (MFCA) methodological approach were used for the characterization of the environmental and economic performance of the scenarios under study for each food additive of natural origin identified with the highest Technology Readiness Level (TRL) by the partners in the project Valor Natural. The LCA study aimed to identify the critical points of the production processes of these natural additives in terms of environmental impacts. The MFCA methodology was applied with aiming to evaluate and reduce the costs associated with the use of resources while reducing environmental impact. The natural dyes identified with the greatest potential for application were Hibiscus sabdariffa L., Sambucus nigra L. and Gomphrena globosa L. Regarding natural bioactive agents, the extract enriched in mycosterols, namely ergosterol, and the extract enriched in vitamin D2 were selected. Since the project is part of a TRL 2-3, it was not possible to obtain sufficient data on natural dyes, so the analysis initially proposed on these dyes was not carried out. The study carried out for the life cycle assessment covered all stages of the life cycle, from raw material transportation to the production of the final extract. The functional unit was defined as 1 g of substrate of vegetable origin converted into food additive. To quantify environmental impacts, ReCiPe Midpoint (H) - Europe (H) and CML (Institute of Environmental Sciences) baseline 2001 methods were used, from which eight environmental impact categories relevant to the study of natural dye extracts were selected. Regarding the extract enriched in mycosterols, it was found that not all processes involved in this production had a relevant influence on the quantified impacts of the selected categories. Therefore, after exploring the various categories, it was identified which processes had the highest impact on each one and a detailed analysis of the various impacts of the processes on each of the selected categories was made. In general, the freeze-drying phase and the transportation of raw materials are the stages that contribute the most to the selected categories of environmental impact. In the freeze-drying process, the impacts are mainly due to energy use in the process and in raw material transportation the impacts are mainly associated with fuel consumption. As in the extracts enriched in mycosterols, it was verified that not all the processes involved in the production of the extracts enriched with Vitamin D2 were relevant in the selected impact categories. As such, a similar analysis to the one performed in the case of the mycosterols was conducted. Generally, it was observed that the freeze-drying process and the transportation of the raw material are the flows that most contribute to the impact categories chosen for analysis. As noted for the extract enriched in mycosterols, for the extracts enriched with Vitamin D2 the impacts associated with the freeze-drying process are mostly related to energy use in the process and the impacts of raw material transportation are due to fuel consumption. Analyzing both extracts, it was concluded that in most of the impact categories, the extract enriched in Vitamin D2 has higher impact on the environment than the extract enriched in mycosterols. This may be due to the fact that in the first extract there are more processes associated with its production and also to the fact that to obtain 1 g of extract enriched in Vitamin D2 it is needed a bigger quantity of raw material to feed the system.
In this dissertation the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and the Material Flow Cost Accounting (MFCA) methodological approach were used for the characterization of the environmental and economic performance of the scenarios under study for each food additive of natural origin identified with the highest Technology Readiness Level (TRL) by the partners in the project Valor Natural. The LCA study aimed to identify the critical points of the production processes of these natural additives in terms of environmental impacts. The MFCA methodology was applied with aiming to evaluate and reduce the costs associated with the use of resources while reducing environmental impact. The natural dyes identified with the greatest potential for application were Hibiscus sabdariffa L., Sambucus nigra L. and Gomphrena globosa L. Regarding natural bioactive agents, the extract enriched in mycosterols, namely ergosterol, and the extract enriched in vitamin D2 were selected. Since the project is part of a TRL 2-3, it was not possible to obtain sufficient data on natural dyes, so the analysis initially proposed on these dyes was not carried out. The study carried out for the life cycle assessment covered all stages of the life cycle, from raw material transportation to the production of the final extract. The functional unit was defined as 1 g of substrate of vegetable origin converted into food additive. To quantify environmental impacts, ReCiPe Midpoint (H) - Europe (H) and CML (Institute of Environmental Sciences) baseline 2001 methods were used, from which eight environmental impact categories relevant to the study of natural dye extracts were selected. Regarding the extract enriched in mycosterols, it was found that not all processes involved in this production had a relevant influence on the quantified impacts of the selected categories. Therefore, after exploring the various categories, it was identified which processes had the highest impact on each one and a detailed analysis of the various impacts of the processes on each of the selected categories was made. In general, the freeze-drying phase and the transportation of raw materials are the stages that contribute the most to the selected categories of environmental impact. In the freeze-drying process, the impacts are mainly due to energy use in the process and in raw material transportation the impacts are mainly associated with fuel consumption. As in the extracts enriched in mycosterols, it was verified that not all the processes involved in the production of the extracts enriched with Vitamin D2 were relevant in the selected impact categories. As such, a similar analysis to the one performed in the case of the mycosterols was conducted. Generally, it was observed that the freeze-drying process and the transportation of the raw material are the flows that most contribute to the impact categories chosen for analysis. As noted for the extract enriched in mycosterols, for the extracts enriched with Vitamin D2 the impacts associated with the freeze-drying process are mostly related to energy use in the process and the impacts of raw material transportation are due to fuel consumption. Analyzing both extracts, it was concluded that in most of the impact categories, the extract enriched in Vitamin D2 has higher impact on the environment than the extract enriched in mycosterols. This may be due to the fact that in the first extract there are more processes associated with its production and also to the fact that to obtain 1 g of extract enriched in Vitamin D2 it is needed a bigger quantity of raw material to feed the system.
Description
Keywords
Aditivos naturais Avaliação do Ciclo de Vida Impactes Ambientais Material Flow Cost Accounting Natural additives Life Cycle Assessment Environmental Impacts