Visa Noronen May 25, 2026 AgricultureCurrent animal-based by-products contain significant amounts of nutritionally valuable components. In the food system of the future, the goal is both to reduce the generation of by-products by finding new uses for raw materials and, on the other hand, to utilize the inevitably generated by-products as efficiently and valuably as possible. This would simultaneously increase the value of the entire domestic animal-based value chain.
In the VALABio project (VALorization of Animal-based By-products into BIOactive innovations), researchers and companies are collaborating to develop methods for processing by-products into valuable ingredients for use in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics industries, as well as for use as a basis for diagnostic solutions in livestock health. Key areas of development in the project include bioactive peptides, collagen-based ingredients, and extracellular vesicles derived from milk.
“The goal is to generate new scientific knowledge and early-stage solutions that will enable future innovations in the food, health, and diagnostics sectors,” says project coordinator Professor Pekka Varmanen of the University of Helsinki.
Circular economy solutions and better animal health
VALABio promotes the circular economy by improving resource efficiency and creating new value from existing biomass.
–At Valio, we are particularly interested in better utilizing extracellular vesicles and bioactive peptides from dairy production by-products. “There is a vast amount to explore in peptides and extracellular vesicles in milk, and they open up a completely new channel for targeted health benefits through food,” says Valio’s project manager Mikko Immonen.
At the same time, the project supports the health of production animals and the responsible use of antimicrobials on livestock farms by developing early diagnostic methods.
– In the VALABio project, Canatu is applying its carbon nanotube-based sensor technology to a new biological context by combining it with research on extracellular vesicles. This opens up new possibilities for measuring biological information, and the potential of the technology platform extends from animal health and food chain analytics to medical research in the long term, says Canatu’s Chief Technology Officer Ilkka Varjos.
A broad consortium puts the results into practice
A broad project consortium ensures that research results are smoothly translated into practical applications.
Mikko Immonen of Valio is pleased with the consortium’s composition:
– VALABio offers an exceptionally interdisciplinary consortium that will build expertise in the detection, enrichment, and modification of target components in by-products.
The project brings together the University of Helsinki, the University of Oulu, and Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences, as well as nine companies: Brinter AM Technologies, Canatu, Ginolis, GMM Finland, Hankkija, HKFoods Finland, Orion Pharma, Valio, and Vetcare. The latter two companies are key partners of the University of Helsinki.
VALABio is also linked to the following Business Finland Veturi programs: Valio’s Food 2.0, Canatu’s Carbon Age, and Orion’s A Digital Boost for the Pharmaceutical R&D.