by Estefnaía Erro Górriz - Director of Marketing and Innovation at the National Center for Food Technology and Safety (CNTA)
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Nov 15 2024
From Lab to Plate: a Spanish Journey of Tech Transfer
The creation of NuCla, a sodium reduction solution developed by Spain’s National Centre for Food Technology and Safety (CNTA) in partnership with biotechnology company Nucaps, highlights the strength of Spain’s cohesive innovation ecosystem, where technology centers and industry players work together to stay competitive, bringing impactful solutions to market that benefit both companies and consumers globally
With a strong tradition in the agri-food sector, Spain has positioned itself as a key player in the field of innovation, integrating new technologies into its production processes. The collaboration between CNTA and Nucaps in the development of NuCla is a clear example of how the Spanish agri-food ecosystem, through well-aligned alliances and effective technology transfer, is facing complex challenges while maintaining its competitiveness.
This innovative approach is particularly important as producers face growing pressure to deliver products that are not only sustainable, safe and accessible, but also healthy. With health-conscious consumers more aware than ever of the impact of diet on well-being, food companies are increasingly focused on developing healthier offerings, with sodium reduction emerging as a key objective.
The challenge: reducing sodium content
The global challenge of creating healthier foods includes the urgent need to reduce sodium intake, as current consumption levels are more than double the World Health Organization's recommended limit. High sodium intake is linked to health issues like hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, making it a public health concern.
However, reducing salt in foods is difficult for companies since it enhances flavor, preserves products, affects texture and often leads to consumer dissatisfaction due to taste changes. This challenge, therefore, requires strategies to reduce sodium content without compromising taste or food quality, and it is at this point that the role of technological centers becomes crucial in finding the solutions that technology can provide.
The role of technology centers: research and development of solutions
In the journey from identifying needs and challenges to developing solutions and transferring them to the market, technology centers play a key role by bridging scientific research with industrial application. In Spain, CNTA has supported the industry for the past four decades by assisting companies in adapting to their needs, with a strong emphasis on research, development, and the transfer of knowledge and technology, while enhancing the quality and safety of food.
Facing the challenge of sodium reduction, CNTA initiated a research project that began with this question: How can we improve the nutritional composition of foods by reducing salt content without compromising sensory quality?
A Story of co-creation: the birth of NuCla
The answer emerged from a collaborative exploration of multiple research pathways, combining CNTA’s expertise in plant-based, non-allergenic, clean-label ingredients with Nucaps' patented microencapsulation technology. This extensive investigation culminated in an innovative method to modify the physical structure of salt, enhancing its taste perception. The resulting solution transitioned from CNTA’s labs to commercial application through Nucaps, a biotechnology company in Navarre known for encapsulating bioactives and probiotics.
By merging their strengths, CNTA and Nucaps developed NuCla, an ingredient that extends and intensifies saltiness, allowing for up to a 40% reduction in salt without compromising flavor. Launched in 2023, NuCla is now available to the food industry as an effective means to reduce salt in products like baked goods, snacks, sauces, ready-to-eat meals and broths, all while maintaining taste, quality and safety. It has already been positively tested by food manufactures in 7 countries in Europe, LATAM, USA and Asia in 10 different food matrices, from bread to ketchup.
Innovation and competitiveness: the impact on the Spanish food industry
The development of NuCla illustrates the remarkable journey of a technology originating from the laboratories of a research center, demonstrating its potential to assist the food industry in overcoming one of its greatest challenges: sodium reduction. This innovation not only enhances the competitiveness of food manufacturers but also facilitates consumer access to healthier, more sustainable, and safer food options.
With solutions like NuCla, the Spanish food industry not only meets present challenges but also anticipates future needs, showing its capacity to integrate technology, science, and tradition to benefit society at large.
