Solid-state fungal fermentation platform for upcycling fruit processing side-streams into enzyme cocktails

Overview

Green Spot Technologies operates an industrialized solid-state fermentation (SSF) platform that transforms fibrous fruit processing side-streams into high-value enzymatic products. The technology targets co-products such as spent citrus peel and apple pomace, which are by-products of pectin and juice extraction. Through controlled fungal fermentation, these residues are bioconverted into enzyme cocktails with strong pectinolytic and cellulolytic activity.

The resulting enzymes can be sold as standalone products for food, feed, or industrial applications, or reintegrated into a producer's own extraction process to improve yield and reduce raw material waste. This dual-use approach supports circular economy goals while creating a new revenue stream from materials that would otherwise be discarded or sold at low value.

Technical specifications

Core technology:

• Solid-state fermentation using a proprietary fungal cultivation platform
• Operated at an industrial scale of 100 to 200 tonnes of substrate per year
• Compatible with a broad diversity of fungal strains, enabling flexible enzyme production targets

Process capabilities:

• Bioconversion of lignocellulosic and pectin-rich residues into multi-enzyme cocktails
• Primary enzymatic activities produced include pectinases and cellulases
• Additional targeted enzymatic activities can be selected through collaborative strain selection
• Flexible substrate qualification to accommodate different side-stream compositions and processing requirements

Engagement pathway:

• Screening phase (3–4 months): strain selection, substrate qualification, fermentation testing, enzymatic activity evaluation, and preliminary technico-economic modeling
• Pilot test (3 months): testing at 100 kg substrate per batch across selected conditions, with defined performance indicators and validation of enzyme activity
• Scale-up phase (2–3 months): product sample provision, user feedback collection, process adjustment, and scale-up strategy definition
• Industrialization: transition to commercial-scale production

Technology readiness level

The SSF platform is already operating at an industrial scale of 100 to 200 tonnes per year, demonstrating proven process capability beyond laboratory or pilot demonstration. The engagement model begins with a screening phase to identify the optimal combination of fungal strain, substrate preparation, and fermentation conditions for a given side-stream, followed by pilot validation at 100 kg batch scale before committing to larger-scale deployment. This staged approach minimizes risk and ensures technico-economic viability before full industrialization.