Waste2Taste Project: Transforming Fish Waste into Taste

Waste2Taste Project: University of Malta’s Role in Transforming Fish Waste into Taste

Malta’s contribution to marine sustainability and food innovation received strong visibility at the recent annual project meeting of WASTE2TASTE, held in Istanbul and hosted by the University of Istanbul and Koç University, the Turkish academic partners in the initiative.

‘The Maltese participation within SBEP projects is managed locally by Xjenza Malta, Malta’s national agency for research, within the Parliamentary Secretariat for Youth, Research and Innovation.’

Participants & Leadership

Representing the University of Malta, Mr Neil Cutajar and Mr Alessio Marrone attended the meeting under the leadership of Prof. Alan Deidun and Prof. Marion Zammit Mangion. The Maltese group presented updates on project progress, with a particular emphasis on the raw materials being transformed into valuable food and health products.

Raw Materials: From Waste to Opportunity

The Maltese team is working on three categories of raw materials:

• Fish waste from fishmongers, with a focus on farmed fish species such as seabass, seabream, and pagrus. These include skins, bones, and viscera that are usually discarded.
• Atlantic Bluefin tuna processing residues from capture-based aquaculture enterprises.
• Alien (non-indigenous) species, which threaten Mediterranean ecosystems but can serve as a valuable feedstock.

All three categories represent untapped resources rich in oils, proteins, and structural biomolecules. Their recovery reduces environmental pressure while opening new economic opportunities.

Protocols & Extraction Methods

In Istanbul, the partners discussed the protocols and the progress made to obtain high-quality:

• Fish oils (rich in omega-3 fatty acids).
• Collagen (with functional properties relevant to food, nutraceuticals, and cosmetics).
• Chitosans and related compounds (with antimicrobial and biopolymer uses).

The focus is on sustainable, food-grade processing that ensures product safety, purity, and industrial viability.

The results so far obtained are highly encouraging. High-quality oils and collagen are already being obtained, and the protocols for chitosan extraction are yielding functional biomaterials. Partners also agreed to expand the number of species studied, particularly alien fish, thereby tackling both ecological and industrial challenges at once.

Commercial Prospects

Discussions also explored how these marine-derived compounds could be integrated into premium food and health products. Prominent companies in the food industry have already shown interest in including these bio-based ingredients within their products, underscoring the project’s strong potential for impact.

Visit to TÜGİP Food Innovation Platform

A highlight of the Istanbul meeting was a visit to TÜGİP — Türkiye Gıda İnovasyon Platformu (Turkey Food Innovation Platform) and its Food Innovation Center.

This cutting-edge facility bridges the gap between laboratory research and industrial production. It houses:

• Nine pilot-scale processing lines, covering areas such as seafood, dairy, fruit juices, hazelnuts, herbal extracts, fermented foods, and ready meals.
• More than 200 specialised machines across 5,800 m².
• Advanced laboratories for food safety, microbial, and biochemical analyses.

The centre also supports entrepreneurs by scaling up experimental recipes to the pilot and industrial level. For Waste2Taste, this provides a model for transforming fish waste extractions — with in particular collagen — into market-ready products.

Importance and Outlook

The WASTE2TASTE project exemplifies how innovation can transform environmental challenges into sustainable opportunities. By focusing on farmed fish waste from fishmongers, while also tapping into bluefin tuna residues and alien species, Malta and its partners are helping to reduce waste, mitigate ecological impact, and create high-value food ingredients.

With promising scientific results and strong industrial interest, the project is on course to contribute meaningfully to the circular blue economy, demonstrating how waste can truly be turned into taste.